thrifting treasures and friday chat

 During my outings the past couple of weeks, I've popped into Goodwill a few

times and came home with not only two pairs of Champion yoga pants

that look brand-new ($3 each!), but a summer top and these things for my home ~

This silver container is very heavy. Has a little sticker on the bottom that says

it's made in India. I filled it with cotton balls and it's in the hallway bath.

I love this bowl. Aren't the colors beautiful? This bowl has a sticker on the

bottom that says Design Guild, made in Thailand. I can't find anything online

like this.  I'd love to know more about this bowl, if anyone has any insight. 

I'm using it as a fruit bowl in my kitchen.

Found this small mirror - cool design, ugly color. Will be easy to spray

paint and make it pretty.

Of course, couldn't resist these cat bookends!

I love this cubed shelf ~ I'm hoping to use it in Tim's room, AKA the the guest

room when I decorate it. You can hang it either this way...

or, this way. I think I'm going to hang it this way because what could you put in

a diagonal cube except small books or CDs? (Which I hardly have anymore of,

anyway. Most of my music is digital.)

This was a brand-new lampshade, still wrapped in its original cellophane, from

Target. I thought I'd try it out on a lamp base in the living room, but nope.

Not right. Darn.

It definitely needs a white lamp base and I'm not sure if I want to paint

this one.

Here's the original lamp shade to that base, which looks much better.

Well, I scheduled that root canal. It'll be next Friday morning. I go between

feeling calm about it, to being very nervous. I hate any dental procedures

and have never had a root canal, so I suppose some of it is the fear of

the unknown. I did go online to read about it and that helped. I'm at the point

where I just want it to be over.

I went for my second acupuncture treatment for my shoulder a couple

of days ago and so far, so good. It has really diminished the pain, but I

still have a ways to go with range of motion. We're hoping just two more

treatments does the trick.

We think we've found a used car for Tim. There's just a few questions that

we had where we're waiting for the answers, then the possible negotiation

begins. Tim recently had two job interviews and we're hoping he gets hired

at one of them since he lost his job last Christmas. He's a full-time college

student but still needs that part-time job for living expenses. We're hoping

and praying this all comes together soon: employment and a car - which he'll

need to get to his job!

Brian got some good news the other day at work. His supervisor is taking an

early retirement and they automatically appointed Brian to take the position

temporarily until they officially hire someone. He was very honored to be

chosen - even if it's just temporary - plus it comes with a 8% increase in salary. 

Will he officially go for this new job? He's not sure. The positives are the salary

increase and that the job is Monday - Friday, 7-3. He has never had a M-F

job. He's always been in the field where he's worked rotating shifts. It's rare

that he has a weekend off. The negatives? He's not sure at this stage of his

life if he wants the responsibility of being a supervisor. Like he said, sometimes

that's nothing more than being a glorified babysitter. But the biggest negative

is that he could easily lose his job as a supervisor. The field he's in (sorry I

can't be more specific - I'd rather keep these things private on social media)

has been consolidating with other towns, making one big department. One 

department only needs one supervisor. Sooo...lots to think and pray about.

Have a good weekend, everyone. I still don't have any good weather news

for you in my neck of the woods. It's been frigidly cold all week again, with 

temperatures in the single digits during the day and below zero at night.

And guess what's coming this weekend? Yep, more of that nasty white stuff.

new vignettes in the living room ~ and other "fun" stuff

 Do you ever take a good look at some arrangement you've done and think

maybe it looks too cluttered? Maybe it was also because I was looking through

a decorating magazine and saw a feature on a home focusing on minimalism

(that would never be me with decorating, that's for sure). I sometimes have to

remind myself that "less is more". I also wanted to lighten things up a bit for spring.

Even though spring seems like a long way off around here. We're going down

to below zero temps again tonight. Can't even talk about it.

Anyway, first I decided to tackle this area of the living room.

This is the before.

And here's the after. I took out most of the heavy, gold accessories and 

added a couple of white ones. I also removed the brown birds and brown 

candle that was in the narrow basket.

 Made a new vignette on the buffet with clear bottles. There had also been

a wooden bowl filled with books and pine cones on the right, and I changed

that out for a stack of books with a framed mirror and my grandma's clock.

 I added some white accessories to the table in the entryway.

The fun stuff is over. Now I'm off to make a call to an endodontist (need

a root canal), fold laundry, clean cat puke out of the vent (Clementine has

great aim), and research natural ways to get rid of ants (tried the cinnamon

thing I found online earlier - doesn't work). And then tonight, we get to go out

in the bitter cold to a car dealer and look at a couple of used cars for Tim!

Still haven't found one and we are sick and tired of dealing with people we've

found on Craigslist. We've been looking for six weeks and Tim needs a car

ASAP as it looks like he might be getting a new job and needs transportation.

Happy Tuesday.

Sharing with Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday

my happy place

 I love this room. It's my quiet, happy place. This is where I blog,

read and write email, work on scrapbooking or card making,

read, or sometimes watch a little TV in the evening.

I was never a fan of yellow until we had the room painted this color.

With two windows, this room gets a lot of natural light and is so cheery.

Depending on the time of day and how sunny (or cloudy) it is, the wall

color looks different...from soft yellow to a brighter hue.

I know I need curtains - and I do have a couple of pairs from IKEA sitting

in the closet - but I'm not sure if they're the right ones for this room.

 

I am surrounded by things that make me smile - our family portrait on canvas,

 books, my cat figurine collection, a pretty quilt, and plants.

 

 It sounds wonderful to have a room of my own, but how this  room came to be

 mine isn't a pretty story. This used to be Phil's bedroom. If he were still alive, would 

he still be living here? Who knows. He'd be 25-1/2 years old now. All that's left of him 

in this room is his memory shelf. Even though I say this is "my" room, we still

call it Phil's room.

Phil obviously left his quiet, gentle, sweet spirit in this room.

Zippo seems to agree.

Do you have a room of your own? Or even just a quiet little niche that

is all yours?

 

coffee talk

 I love my cup of coffee first thing in the morning. It's what I go for the minute

I get out of bed. And I'm a bit of a coffee snob. I like to grind my own beans

fresh every morning. And only two certain kinds will do: Either Dunkin' Donuts

or Trader Joes Breakfast Blend. I've also discovered the beauty of making
coffee via the french press. It makes the most delicious, deep-tasting cup of
coffee I've ever had. I was lucky enough to find this personal french press at
 Goodwill last year. Since I'm the only coffee drinker in the house, this single-
serving press is perfect for me.

 When Brenda of Cozy Little House was talking about home coffee bars

a few days ago and is talking about coffee again today on her blog, I thought

I'd jump on the coffee bandwagon. I do have a coffee/tea/hot chocolate bar
in my kitchen, but not on my counter top. There's not enough room. But I
found a wire shelf in my stash of home decor and put it on the counter to
hold my two favorite winter mugs and some creamers.

The beverage bar is across the kitchen on the butler's table. You'll see a larger

french press. I found that one at Goodwill just a couple of weeks ago. It'll

come in handy when I have company. I do have an automatic drip coffee maker,

but like I said, I'm hooked on the french press right now. The coffee tastes

so much better. Once in awhile, I'll have a cup of tea in the afternoon or

evening (I usually just drink water all day after my morning coffee) -

plus Brian's a tea drinker - so I have an assortment of teas in a

vintage glass jar. And if anyone prefers hot chocolate, I have a homemade

mix - as well as peppermint sticks.

Here's the whole look on that side of the kitchen. As usual, I have a photo-

bombing kitty. That's Clementine under the butler's table.

In other non-coffee news, these past couple of days have brought sunshine

and 40+ degree temps. It not only feels wonderful, but it's melting some of 

that snow. However, tonight into tomorrow we're supposed to get a lot of rain

on top of all that melting snow. And you know what the means: flooding! I'm worried

about our basement. Brian's going to work on shoveling the snow away from the

foundation when he gets home from work today.

I had my first acupuncture appointment this morning for my rotator cuff

impingement. I went through a month of physical therapy in December and

it didn't do much good. It felt good during the therapy, but once therapy was

over, the pain and limited movement came right back. I do the prescribed PT

exercises at home every single day, too. Plus yoga class and yoga at home.

I will not get a cortisone shot unless absolutely necessary. I would like to say

never, but you know how that goes...never say never. I'm a natural health person

and have read a lot of information on the dangers and risks of cortisone - not

only to your soft tissues, but the effect it has on your heart. No, thank you. I will

go the natural route first. I've done acupuncture in the past - for my back. And it

helped tremendously. I have to say that just after today's treatment, I'm a little

sore but my range of motion is already much better. I also had a headache when

I went in and she was able to take that away immediately with appropriately-

placed needles. Amazing!

Linking up to: Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday and
Green Willow Pond What We Accomplished Wednesday 

weekend visits with family and monday business

 Hello, friends ~ how was your weekend? It sure was good to see Tim this past

Friday. We helped him with his taxes, took him grocery shopping and for a haircut,

then went out to dinner at a 50's-style burger place. I also brought him a bunch

of frozen meals. When I cook dinner at home, I package up the leftovers in freezer

bags or containers and then take the whole lot to Tim's place when we visit. He's

not a cook, so he appreciates some good home cooking. I enjoyed seeing some of

the projects Tim's been working on in school, including pinhole photography and 

print-making. He's a really talented artist and photographer ~ can't wait to see where

it all takes him someday.

 On Saturday, I spent the day with my mom. I helped her with some decorating

ideas, then we went to a thrift shop (didn't find anything) and went out to lunch.

Mom has a lovely house and it's decorated so pretty, but she likes when I help

her with organizing and rearranging - my strong suits. Here's one of her

bookcases in the family room. Books and decor scattered willy-nilly and piles

 of paperwork that don't belong in a bookcase.

Here's the after when I was done cleaning out and rearranging...

And I have to show you the dressers that Mom just re-did. They're amazing.

My parents had these dressers forever. I don't remember them ever having any

other furniture in their bedroom. I only have one "before" photo - of the tall dresser.

You can see how beat up it was.

And here's the "after". Isn't it beautiful? Mom has photos of my dad, some of

his favorite books, and his valet box (oops, her dainty teapcup is photobombing)

as a memory grouping on top of this dresser.

Here's the longer dresser. I just can't believe the transformation. They look

like totally different pieces of furniture. 

 

Showing you some things in Mom's house wouldn't be complete without a

photo of her darling dog, LuLu. Doesn't she look like a stuffed animal?

I swear that pup is smiling.

I know we're all sick of seeing it, hearing about it, and shoveling it, but that

nasty white stuff just started again. We're in for 4-8" and it's going to be

heavy and wet. I always worry about Brian driving home from work in this

weather, especially since he has a long commute. I'm staying home and

getting things done around the house, including making a quinoa salad and

a pot of soup. Happy Monday, everyone.

eternal love

Happy Valentine's Day! Brian got the day off work and we are heading out in a bit

to spend the day with Tim. While Brian helps Tim work on his taxes, I'll head

to Barnes and Noble and get a cup of coffee and browse the books and magazines.

We'll then take Tim grocery shopping (he's without a car ~ we're still helping him 

look for one) and then we'll all go out to dinner at a Thai restaurant. I'm looking

forward to spending my day with two of the people that I love most in this world.

Speaking of love and family, you might recall my post from January 13th where I

announced that I won a giveaway from The Moski Homes blog. I got to pick a

fabric-wrapped wire word from Jane at Planet Joy. I wanted a word to go over the

family photo in my office and asked you all for some suggestions. Thanks for all

who offered their help and lovely thoughts. I ended up choosing the word, "eternal".

Isn't it beautiful?

I haven't hung it on the wall. I just have it propped on top of the picture for now.

Haven't decided if I'm going to leave it this way or hang it a little higher.

Jane also sent me two hanging hearts, which I have hanging from a dresser knob.

Yes, love goes on, even in death. 

Eternal love.

Philip will always be with us.

lighten up ~ changes in the living room

 I know it's still 36 days until spring (yes, I'm counting) but I was getting kind of

tired of the heavy tabletop look in my entryway. I wanted to change out the dark

tray and bird and the thick, gold candlesticks.

I used the new thrifted basket and a couple of white candle holders

to lighten up the space. Sorry for the grainy photo - it's cloudy today.

 I decided to change the vignette on the buffet in the living room, too, especially

after being inspired by Penny's miniature book cloche...

Here's my buffet before...you will notice I had pine cones and brown decorative

balls under the cloche.

 And here's the buffet now with mini books under the cloche. I also traded the
gold clock for a gold and blue bowl, but I think I like the clock better.

Thanks for stopping by ~ it makes my day when you leave such lovely comments!

Linking up to Green Willow Pond What We Accomplished Wednesday

  It's another frigid day here in the Chicago suburbs: -7F when I woke up.  So when it

 warms up to 31 whopping degrees on Thursday, it will seem positively balmy, right?

 How was your weekend? I ran into a couple of resale shops and also saw the 

movie August: Osage County with a friend. One of my favorite actresses is Meryl

 Streep and she certainly didn't disappoint in this movie. But, wow...you talk about a

 rather depressing movie! It'll make your own dysfunctional family seem almost normal. 

;-)

I only found a few things on my thrifting adventures this weekend, but that's

OK. The one "big" thing I found - which I will share near the end - was thrilling

enough for me. 

I love this wire basket. The checkout lady even said how pretty it would be with

 glass bottles full of flowers in it. I told her that's exactly what I was planning on 

doing with it. 

Since I love hearts, this wooden Swedish heart caught my eye. I'm not

sure what it says...I ran it through the Google Translate site and part of it 

comes up as "No matter where I am" and "happiness in God". If anyone out

there is familiar with Swedish and can translate this, please let me know.

Another thing I love and collect...nesting dolls. I thought these Santas were

really cute.

I had to dig through bins full of silverware to find all the matching pieces, but

I loved the hammered ends on this silverware. I only have one set of everyday

silverware and seems we are always running out of spoons. I figured I could

use this extra silverware for now, and then someday when Tim gets his own

place, this set could be his. And the entire set was less than $2!

So, here is my big find. Target donates their leftover clearance items to a local

Goodwill store. This table had the original Target sticker of $79.99 on it and a clearance

sticker of $55.98. Goodwill's price was $14.99 but I had a 30% off coupon, plus 

another 5% off for spending $20 in total purchases, so I got this table for $10!

I walked by it a couple of times, trying to decide if I should get it or not. I noticed

a couple of other people eyeballing it too, so I grabbed it before one of them

could make off with it. I wanted to use it somewhere in my living room, but after

playing with it in a few different spots, it just didn't work in there. So I'm going

to use it as a nightstand in the work-in-progress guest room.

Now I must get busy with some things around the house and a quick errand.

I have yoga class tonight so I want to make a pasta dish and salad ahead

of time. Happy Monday - enjoy your day.