Breathing in the New Year...

I took the day off today to breathe.

Breathe in being a wife and exhale the stress that has entwined itself around my mind.

Unwind.

Regroup.

Relax.

My body and mind needed it desperately.

If you follow me on Facebook, you know I've been driving two hours a day to spend the day with my mom who is now in a rehab center recovering from a recent stroke.

 It's taking a toll not only on my poor old SUV 

(which is having hiccup issues)

but on me, too.

I feel like I'm in the "Groundhog Day" movie;

getting up and doing the same thing over and over and over again, 

day after day after day.

I'm not complaining.

Really, I'm not.

The hours spent with Mom are treasured and cherished.

I need to be there to relieve my Dad and support him.

But I'm feeling frustrated with the lack of improvement I see in my Mom.

I expected her to be walking again

and feeding herself

and in the least able to hold a partial conversation with me.

So, I wait.

I hold her hand and rub her back.

I talk to her and tell her I love her.

I comb her hair and put on her lipstick.

I pray constantly.

I beg.

I cajole.

I pray again.

And I wait for God to answer our prayers.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  

I was anxious to get my house back in order after Christmas.

So I spent the day decluttering, putting away Christmas decor,

cleaning, and refloofing ~

And just breathing in being a housewife for the day.

I love doing housework.

It relaxes me and I don't stress out over it.

I found some time to hang another little chandy, too.

This one's just for looks right now,

and doesn't work quite yet.

But at least it's out of the box it was sitting in on the floor in my office.

It did my heart good to dip into my bucket of inspiration 

and create some new vignettes.

This darling little crown ring box filled with a couple tiny treasures

is one of many beautiful shabby chic Christmas gifts sent to me from my good friend and sister-in-Christ, 

Stephanie at The Spanish Dahlia.

♥

This old fruit drying crate was pulled from the abyss in my basement.

I've been wanting to use it in someway

but it continually stumped me

and I would find myself wandering blankly around the house with it.

Not quite sure it "feels" right yet, though.

This vignette may need a little reworking.

I moved to the kitchen and freshened up the table vignette.

Blush pink roses drying on the pie safe,

will soon join the dried ones

on the other side of the kitchen.

I'm breathing easier now.

A little creativity does do the heart and mind good.

I'm ready to tackle another week, too.

Ready to spend it in grateful prayer at my mom's side.

♥

To those of you who have been praying for my family,

I deeply thank you.

For those of you dealing with the same thing,

know that I am praying for you...

And may the new year bring you all an abundance of 

peace, 

joy, 

and 

answered prayer.

~ Blessings ~

Linking to the linky parties on the lower right of my sidebar.

Celebrating Christmas...

He is our Joy during times of pain.

He is our Strength when we are weak.

He is our Hope when we think we have none.

He is our Peace in times of turmoil.

 

These are the gifts I am celebrating this Christmas.

Praying that all of you will experience HIS love and peace this season

in a way you never have before...

Merry Christmas

♥

~ Love & Blessings ~

 ["He Is" by Tracie @ Beneath My Heart]

 

 

Christmas Bling

Can you see it?

The subtle yet blingy change in the kitchen?

If you missed my Thanksgiving post,

here is the kitchen ready for guests.


Look closely...

Now, do you see it?

I turned on the Christmas bling for you.

I brought this chandelier home from a local antique market this summer.

It's been sitting in my office

on the floor

in a box

then sneakily moved to the kitchen counter

just waiting to be noticed.

(Sometimes that just works better than wifely nagging.)

Well, on a cold, rainy Saturday recently,

The Husband finally asked why there was a chandelier hanging out on said kitchen counter.

"What chandelier.....?
Oh!  
THAT chandelier?"

(insert the infamous Eye Roll from Husband)

"Yes, that chandelier.
The one that's been in my way when I'm cooking.
Do you want it hung someplace....

or is this a new way of decorating with these things...?"

"Oh, puh-leeeez!!!"

 (said I with the perfected Wifely Eye Roll)

(even though there IS one casually laying on top of the bookcase in my office

just because I like it there for now -

until it gets hung in the living room...

eventually...

but I'm saving that request for another cold, rainy day.)

"Nooo....but would you help me hang it?"

"Anything to get if off the counter....."

And with that, I giddily pranced off to grab my toolbox before he changed his mind.

 So, with me standing on top of the table

and he directing me from below...

(once a teacher, always a teacher, you know) 

I untwisted wires,
unstrung wires,
strung new wires,
retwisted the new wires,
and

we hung this beauty together.

"Did you actually just climb back onto the table to take a picture of this light for your blog...?."

"Yep, I did. 
A blogger's gotta do what a blogger's gotta do, honey."

"Do you want me to take a picture of you up there taking a picture of the light....?

"Are you kidding me?! 
From that angle my bum would look like the broad side of a barn!"

"Oh, good grief...."
(insert slow head shake)

 We couldn't believe how much brighter the room looked when we flicked the switch on.

A dimmer is definitely on the shopping list.

But, oh such beautiful brightness!

Such delightful dazzle!

Such gorgeous glittery-ness!

We stood back in awe.

(I wanted to throw in a few photos of our Christmas table.)

New glittery candle holder nabbed at JoAnne Fabrics for 1/2 price.

I bought the vintage wooden cutting board at Habitat for Humanity ReStore for a couple dollars.

The painting on the frantel was created by my dad's mother many decades ago.

I truly treasure the paintings that have been passed down to me from her and my dad.

But then,

before I could stop myself,

before I could put a lid on it,

before I could slap my hand over my mouth...

I blurted out...

"Ummmmm....wanna do another one, hon....?"

(Insert Husband's eyes-over-glasses under a furrowed brow)

"There's ANOTHER one?"

"Errrrrr....yes.

But it's MUCH  
smaller..."

(Insert Husbandly "like that makes a hoot of difference?" facial expression.

So, after a deep sigh of resignation,

 a second bit of bling was installed within the hour.

 This sweet chandy is on the landing going upstairs,
and replaced Boob light #2.

We kept the original gold ceiling medallion up there for now

until I can pick up a pretty white, embellished one at Home Depot or Lowes.

In the meantime, I'm going to smudge some King's Gold gilding wax on this one to tone down the shine and age it a bit.
If I like it, it just may stay

(which will prevent any husbandly eye rolls, sighs, and furrowed brows, I'm sure).

No bags of coal for this husband for Christmas.

He's been a good boy.

(maybe a bit sarcastic at times,
but a good boy for the most part.
*wink*)

Shhhhh.....!

Little does he know there are TWO more chandies 

waiting...

~  Blessings ~

Linking to the Linky parties on the lower right of my sidebar.

Christmas at Heaven's Walk: The Living Room

Christmas has finally arrived here at Heaven's Walk.

 

I usually wait until the first week or so of December before pulling out multiple totes of holiday decor.

This year, it was much easier and I didn't even use half of what I dug through in those containers.

Note to self: Sell or donate all red and green Christmas decorations.

I was greatly influenced and inspired by the soft, romantic, rustic look of a shabby chic Christmas and wanted to keep things very simple.

I don't handle clutter well.

Using only decor in shades of pink, white, teal, and gold made the task a breeze.

A small faux tree was plunked in a vintage blue enamel bucket and found it's place on the wicker table in the corner of the living room.

I tucked real white pine tassels here and there which resulted in it looking very lifelike.

Glittered ornaments dangle among sparkling crystal snowflakes all tied on with shabby chic linen scraps,

and a large glass snowflake was the topper.

Vintage ornaments from my childhood were casually tossed onto the Florentine tray on the coffee table.

I entwined crystal beaded garland with faux cedar boughs and draped it over the fireplace mantel, tucking in a mercury glass candlestick and flocked pine cones.  A simple knit stocking was hung with care opposite an oversize wooden rosary I made.

I tied a handful of faux cedar branches together with some turquoise linen and laid in it on the small planked table next to my love seat,

The master bath was also kept very simple with a tiny flocked fir tree wearing a scarf of pink voile.

A sprig of pine snuggles with a rose bloom,

and some pink dried roses hang above the little boho candle holder.

The rug was a beautiful gift from the sweet Carol at Our Sears Kit Home.

Christmas at Heaven's Walk.

Simple, serene, romantic, and gently tousled.

♥ 

[The Husband was happy to cross a couple of tasks off his "honey-do" list today,

leaving his wife very happy.

I'll share them with you next week.

Clue:  Bright and blingy!]

~ Blessings ~

Linking to the Linky parties on the lower right of my sidebar.