Double Ruffles

I could barely contain myself as I tore open the box that arrived in the mail a couple weeks ago.

Shellagh's beautiful handwriting on a sweet tag was the first thing my eyes landed on.

A smile crossed my face as I read her note and I sent her a silent, happy hug in my heart.

Beneath the tag, wrapped in crisp, white tissue paper was my Christmas present that I ordered from her.

I lifted the luscious frayed edged ruffles out of the box,

walked over to the kitchen table

shook the heavy, Belgian-like linen,

and let it drop onto the tabletop.

The double ruffles landed in a beautiful pile of creamy white

like thick whipped cream.

I lifted them again and spread them across the table,

watching the ruffles slide over the edge and down to the floor.

  

*sigh*

Call me crazy, but it was beautiful thing to see.  :)

 

I spent a couple hours photographing different vignettes

while the late morning sunshine streamed into the kitchen through the French doors.

The autumn light was perfect.

 

Playing with different photo editing effects...

I plan on using this sweet rosette trim on a lampshade soon.

Someday, I would like a small, vintage wooden baker's rack on the back wall where the birdcage is.

   

My favorite photo from this shoot.

Yesterday, I was anxious to create a simple Thanksgiving tablescape for dinner with my mother, father, and brother
while The Husband made his famous pumpkin pies.

Yes, I am blessed with a husband who loves doing the majority of the cooking and baking around here.  :)

While the pies filled our house with a delicious aroma,
I took an old crocheted throw and layered it over the linen, and topped that with a vintage linen tablecloth with wide jacquard bands of pink.

Matching napkins,
 my mother's antique silverware,
glass candle holders,
etched glassware, 
rustic rattan chargers,
and pink roses
completed the shabby chic look.

I loved the look of my French desk chair at the table.

(Note to self: Add Rachel Ashwell's 'Darcy' chairs to Wish List.)

(Yep. Writing RA 'Darcy' chairs on my list right now...)

I pray that everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving day overflowing with the love of family!

~  Grateful Blessings  ~

Thank you, Shellagh ♥

for sharing your gift of sewing,

for being so patient when I describe a vision to you,

and for being such a wonderful west coast friend.

Be sure to visit Shellagh's beautiful Etsy shop to see more of her breathtaking linens!




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Sweet Day

Late autumn sunshine fills my SUV.

Air cold outside the windows, but toasty warm inside.

Source: Google image

 

My fingers wrap around a sweetly spiced latte

as I drive toward a friendship.

Source: Google image

I smile.

Sixty days since we have hugged.

Sixty days since we have shared life's joys and struggles.

Today we will catch-up.

Today we will bless.

The tires roll away the miles

as the radio plays songs about God's love and blessings.

Sweet sunshine.

Sweet coffee.

 Sweet friend.

~ ♥ ~

 
I look up and see her standing there,

all smiles and arms stretched wide.

Source: Google image

Warm embrace

instant chatter

lilting laughter

We talk as we walk beautiful aisles.

We touch sparkling ornaments on decorated trees,

Source: Dustylu

slip shiny holiday rings onto our fingers,

beaded bracelets on our wrists,

and close our eyes to sniff cinnamon scented pine cones.

Source: Google image

Christmas music surrounds us.

We fill our baskets with aromatic candles,

a sweater for mom,

paints for a son,

and glittery garland for our trees at home.

We smile,
wrapped in our friendship.

Source: Google image

 Lunch brings more shared stories straight from the heart,

and squares of minty chocolate slowly savored for dessert,

surrounded by others joyfully doing the same.

A friendship found through two blogs.

A sisterhood nurtured through many emails.
Hearts bonding.
Souls embracing.

More hugs exchanged with bids of farewell

and promises to meet again before Christmas day.

Source: Google image

 
I drive the same sunny roads home 

singing along with the music in my heart

and feeling so very blessed.

Sweet sunshine.

Sweet sister-in-Christ.

Sweet day.

 ~ Blessings ~

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Heaven's Walk visits "I Gotta Create: Inspiring Creative Women"

Have you met sweet Christina at I Gotta Create?  

Have you heard of her special posts featuring inspiring women from all over the world?

 

Have you ever wanted to know a little more about Heaven's Walk?

Last month, Christina was kind enough to ask me to participate in her "Inspiring Creative Women" series. This series is dedicated to in-depth interviews designed to bring the creative process into sharper focus, and gives us all a chance to get to know each other on a deeper basis. She has interviewed some fabulously creative women like Kathy at Katalina Jewelry, Lizy at Lizy B Bakes, Katie at Creatively Living, and Bliss Ranch.

And guess what?  

You can meet each one over at Christina's!

Needless to say I was surprised....and quite humbled.

I never thought of myself as inspiring, to tell you the truth.

[A little dorky.  A little spoiled.  Maybe a wee bit obsessed...yes.]

As I looked over the questions she sent me and began to ponder each of them,

the answers that flowed from my fingertips onto the keyboard transported me back to a childhood full of beautiful memories. I also came to realize how much bloggers (and many blog friends) have inspired ME throughout this wonderful Blogger journey. 

So, if you're at all curious,

about Christina, 

her fabulous blog and inspiring series, 

and of course,

little ol' me...

stop over to Christina's!

♥

I Gotta Create: Inspiring Creative Women

~ Blessings ~

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Coffee Table Make-Over

Remember this beautiful coffee table in my living room?

The Husband made it for me.
He crafted it from an vintage nine-paned door.

I fell in love with it when he first unveiled it to me on that beautiful Christmas morning

hmmmmm....

about 15 years ago.

With my recent obsession

(one of many)

with farmhouse planked top tables,

I wanted to transform this one a bit to satisfy that recent new obsession.

I scrounged around in the barn for some old wood planks...

and came up empty handed.

None of them were the right type
or
didn't have bat poop all over them.

Drat!

So, the next time I took a trip to the big city, 

I made a stop at Home Depot,

chose the cheapest piece of pine board they had,

fluttered my mascaraed eyelashes at a young man with an orange apron on ~

(Gee...I hope he worked there...

I only flutter my eyelashes at people I want something from, you know)

and asked if he would cut the board down for me.

He was utterly besotted with my fluttering politely said he would,

and off I scampered with my piney scented planks.

Wanting them to look a little old and worn,

I laid them out in the basement and sanded the edges until they were uneven and rounded.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to stain or paint them.

I ended up deciding to stain them knowing that I could always paint over it.
The next question was with what color?

I had Minwax Golden Oak, Special Walnut, and Pecan on hand.

 I tried each of them on some scrap pieces of pine first
and laid them on the coffee table.

 

 The walnut was too dark and the golden oak too yellowy.

Decision was  ~~ Minwax Express Color in Pecan.

It was the perfect warm, light brown with a gray undertone.

I used a foam brush, kind of like a sponge, to spread this thick liquid on,

rubbing and scrubbing it into the grain.

After letting it dry overnight, I hauled a couple pieces upstairs, laid them on the table,

turned and walked out of the room, 

and then turned back around to look at the table.

[Yes, I do this quite often when rearranging furniture, working on projects, and painting furniture.  I want the "first impressions" feeling.]

I didn't like it.

It looked like a hole in the middle of the living room.
The pretty pecan color just wasn't going to work all by itself.

I wanted it touched with white.

Back downstairs they went,

out came out the Benjamin Moore "Ivory Tusk"

(which is the color on the rest of furniture in the house)

and I spread the creamy whiteness on.

Now, I love my BM paint.  Always have. Always will. It goes on like pudding.

It's thick and rich and almost looks edible because of it's similarity in consistency to yogurt.

But distressing this latex paint is nothing like distressing chalk paint or milk paint.

I had forgotten that after working with chalk paint for so long.

Duh.

After the planks had dried over night, I got out my handy dandy little palm sander

and started sanding.

I happily sanded

and sanded

and sanded

and sanded.

I switched hands and began to mutter things under my breath as I sanded

and sanded

and sanded

and sanded.

AGH!

But slowwwwwwly the planks began to look old and loved.

I hauled them back upstairs and laid them out side by side.

I had to put the glass back on because the boards aren't screwed to the table yet
which will be done from beneath with The Husband's help.

Then, I walked out of the room,

 turned around,
looked at the table

and...

fell in love all over again.


I loved that the boards gave the table substance and uniformity.
Not being able to see through the glass panes, gave the room a calmer,
less busy look.

So, of course,
I spent the better part of an hour creating vignettes on this planked loveliness.
:)

 

Yeah...
I'm loving it.


~ Blessings ~

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