Faux Russian Folk Beds & Shabby Vignettes

The guest room has been sitting like this all summer long.

The twin bed mattress/box spring brought home from my parents' house 

jammed at the foot of the double bed between two large dressers.

The room pretty much unusable...except for The Husband's desperate attempt to wriggle around them to get to his underwear drawer (poor guy),

and me vaulting over them to put laundry away (Kodak moments).

I've been nudging (i.e. nagging) him to build me a couple of Russian folk beds for this room,

but time has been escaping us both with the holiday seasons.

It must have been the antibiotics/pain killers that I've been on for a tooth infection

(which is a whole 'nother story)

that finally motivated me to do something about this mess.

This room needed to breathe again.

So, using my super-human strength (once again most likely from the pain killers),

and with a bit of grunting and groaning, 

I hauled the double bed's ancient mattress and rusty box spring

down the stairs, through the French doors in the kitchen, 

across the back porch, and out to the fire pit.

By "ancient", I'm talking about some sort of coir-like material laid over the springs and wrapped with some sort of cotton batting.  

Not cute ancient....and just plain icky ancient.

The room now looked like this.

I have always loved the painted floors and woodwork in this room
because your eye, instead of being "stopped" by wood trim, goes through the windows and focuses on the beauty outside. It makes the space appear seamless.
I just may do it in the library room someday.

Anyway, I had visions of this...

my favorite Rachel Ashwell boho-inspired room

with simple Russian folk beds, a happy calamity of fabrics tossed next to each other,

and vintage Oushak rugs spread lazily across the floor.

In my mind, I just KNEW that I could squeeze that bed into the corner creating a cozy "L" shaped folk bed. 

One way or another.

(I possessed super-human strength, you know.)

I moved those mattresses around and around and around the room.

Each time getting stuck on the dressers.

I stood back and channeled the geometry I had learned in high school.

I measured and re-measured.

I pushed and squeezed and manipulated those mattresses to no end.

But it was not to be.

(Insert sad face here.)

The room was too small with the dressers in there,

and they had to stay.

 So....{sigh}...one folk bed would have to do.

After pushing and pulling and sliding the box spring up the attic stairs

(which was quite an Olympic event in itself),

I got to work on making the room pretty.

The base of the pallet bed is still on the docket to be built next month sometime,

(I asked for 2x4s for Christmas, believe it or not.)

so I just used a Hollywood bed frame for now and placed the mattress on that. 

I used my favorite RA 'Somerset' duvet and pillows and added in SSC 'Mon Ami', a vintage striped down filled pillow, and some white ruffles to the mix.

The room felt larger and more spacious and just plain cozy

(and I could still sleep in here if The Husband's snoring got too bad some nights -

 happily sprawled across all of those smooshy pillows).

In my foggy, pain-free state-of-mind,

  I was quite pleased at how it turned out.

I would still like to get my hands on some of that faded gray French ticking material 
that RA has on her folk beds in her boho-inspired room...if anyone knows of a source.

While I was experiencing happy delirium upstairs,

I peeked outside and saw that the turkey boys were in the back yard 

deliriously happy with finding my water garden.

I had been wondering why I was having to haul buckets upon buckets of water out there to top off the pond every week.

Now I knew.

Nothing better than happy turkeys slurping away in your back yard.

Back inside,

feeling so much better about the guest room

(and floating back up stairs just to look at it again and again),

I plunked my favorite 'Rosita vendela' roses into vases throughout the house...

...and captured some vignettes from around the house...

before promptly passing out on the love seat for a long nap.

If I don't see you before the blessed Christmastide,

I pray for you 

peace

joy

and

glorious love

that only comes 

from the One Above.

Merry Christmas Blessings

~  Eucharisteo  ~

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

Just a Simple Christmas Wish

Unlike November which pushed and roared and bit its way into Michigan...

leaving us in a muffled snow globe...

December crept in like a lamb.

Quietly sunny and almost snow free...so far.

To be honest with you, I am quite liking it.

I don't have to pull on boots to slog out to the garage.

No shoveling mounds of snow from the driveway.

Fear-free driving to the big city. 

Yes....the entire winter could stay just like this if it were up to me.

These sunny mornings pour into our kitchen like warm syrup,

 creating a cozy place to begin the day.

I've been starting my days lately with a couple mugs of tea.
I love coffee, too (a lot),
but Young Living Essential Oils makes a wonderful
Ocotea Oolong Cocao tea enhanced with 100% pure therapeutic grade Frankincense powder
that is light and delicious -
especially with a teaspoon of honey and pinch of cinnamon.

Sometimes I add in an additional cinnamon flavored tea bag to deepen the flavor.

I need my tea strong.

This special tea was created to help decrease appetite and food cravings...

which so far....is working for me.

After my morning treadmill run,
I sip it while I go about my daily tasks,

warming it up every once in a while,

and completely forgetting about the leftovers in the bulging refrigerator.

It keeps me moving, motivated, and multi-tasking.

So, many things have been accomplished during these past two weeks.
I worked on a dream catcher order for a customer who was giving it as a Christmas gift.

Her request was faded blue fabrics.
A friend of mine has been faithfully sending me feathers she finds around her home in Texas,
and I was happy to be able to add them to this dream catcher.
{thank you, Patty!}

After that was wrapped and ready to deliver,
my attention turned toward a new rug I received from a sweet friend in Florida.
Some rearranging was needed in the living room to accommodate this gorgeous thing
with its faded burgundy and cream design.
{thank you, Heather!}

I pushed the coffee table out of the way and went to whipping rugs around the room for a while,
(great arm workout, btw)
trying to create a pleasing-to-the-eye prairie/shabby chic layering affect.

Next on the agenda was wrapping gifts for a local nursing home.
Our church was providing some Christmas cheer to the residents there this year.
After thinking about what my own mother would have enjoyed receiving when she was in the nursing home,
I remembered there was a box full of Philosophy "Grace" products stored in my basement that my dad had purchased for my mom during the past couple of years.
Unfortunately, she was never able to use them.
Choking back tears as I wrapped and tied the presents,
 I knew they both would have loved knowing
where some of these lotions and perfumes were going to go.

December 1st is usually the day when the decorations get hauled down from our cold attic,
but wanting to keep my "mojo" going,
I started early this year on the day following Thanksgiving.

Opening up boxes of ornaments each year is almost as delightful as opening up a gift on Christmas morning.

After hours of arranging and rearranging and re-rearranging,
I was relatively happy with what I saw...

I adore the German glittered deer created by @shabbybeachygirl. Thank you, Jen!

...but ended up going with this instead
which satisfied the prairie girl in me.

The pink tree was plunked in a wooden bucket on the workbench in my studio
next to the tiny lilac painting my dad created decades ago.
A painting my great-grandmother made sits on the shelf beyond the tree.

A Florentine tray full of Christmas bits and bobs sits on the newly stained and white-washed coffee table.

The mantel definitely spoke to my heart the most, though.
I tend to overdo the decor on the mantel for some reason,
 and always-always-always have to take it all apart and start over again, simplifying as I go.
The second time is usually the charm.

I started with this.

And I simplified it to this.

The kitchen decor was kept extremely simple, too.
A couple of ornaments on some vintage dishes and
a bottle brush tree on the sideboard.

The inspiration board in my studio also received a more simplified look
with a RASCC 2015 calender adding a bit of sparkle to the room.

Speaking of sparkle,
the sparkle and love of my life celebrated her 12th birthday on December 5.
 We gave her a new "baby" named Ruby.
Ruby, the lamb, now goes wherever Maizie goes...
from bed, to dinner, to nap, to potty break.

Maizie would have been a wonderful mother.
She treats all of her "babies" with gentle love and attention.

 

The house is decorated.
The Christmas shopping completed.
The sun is shining.
There's no snow on the ground,
and my little Maizie Grace is happy and healthy.

Just a simple Christmas wish...come true.


~  Eucharisteo  ~

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

Seasons of the Heart

It's been a busy, busy month here at Heaven's Walk...thus my long absence from Bloglandia.

My heart seems full to overflowing
and my mind has been stretched to it's limit.
I have truly missed visiting you all and hope to start finding some time in the near future
to stop by and catch up with you all once again.

Besides the usual seasonal chores like blowing leaves,

 watching the first snowflakes of the season mix with more falling leaves,

cleaning gutters,

winterizing the pond,

putting the veggie garden to bed,

storing the porch furniture,

blowing more leaves,

mowing for the last time,

hanging up all the hoses in the barn,

placing heaters in birdbaths,

blowing even more leaves,

 covering the fountain and rain barrel,

and cutting down that huge, old, dangerous mulberry tree in the middle of the yard...

there's been meetings with lawyers, financial advisors, realtors, and bankers

over Trusts and Estates and Probate.
It seems to be never ending.

I also signed closing papers on my parents' house...

and watched a young couple walk away with my dad's keys in their hands.

It was sad.

Bittersweet.

Emotional.

 Heaving another huge sigh....I took another step forward in my life ~

finding it difficult not to look back.

 As I mentioned in my previous post,

I entered the world of Young Living Essential Oils

and am embracing their incredible healing properties.

Mind, body, and soul.

At this time in my life,

they are so comforting, anchoring, empowering, and grounding ~

and bring me into God's presence continually throughout the day.

Their scents remind me of the gifts and blessings He faithfully promises,
and their healing properties have helped both my husband and me sleep more soundly,
reduced our bodily aches and pains, wiped away tension headaches,
and boosted our immune systems.

This beautiful blend of oils wafts through the rooms in my old farmhouse every day during this late autumn season

filling it with a sweet, clean, earthy fragrance.

 Orange boosts immunity, induces relaxation, and reduces depression.

Clove is antiviral, antioxidant, and creates a sense of protection and courage.

After a clear mammogram result (the first one since my surgery),

I ditched all of the chemical-based perfumes from my medicine cabinet, 

(you'll find only YL oils there now)

and all cleaning supplies from beneath the sink were put in the trash.

I am using Young Living's natural, cleaning products that are full of clove, lemon, rosemary, cinnamon bark, and eucalyptus radiata. 

Not only is it antiviral and antiseptic, but also antibacterial and anti-infectious ~ 

protecting us from any cold or flu bugs that may make their way into our home.

 While the temperatures slowly sink into the 20s and 30s and winter makes its unwelcome appearance,
homemade French onion soup simmers on the stove next to a French baguette topped with Gruyere cheese.

Maizie Grace waits patiently for her own dinner ~ with Flopsy close by.

 After dinner, surgery is performed on her Bear.

Her maternal instinct kicks into high gear as she nervously lays at my feet,

watching my every move...

until...

arm reattached...

her beloved 'baby' is safe and sound.

It was also time for me to step into the 21st century.

I finally upgraded to a smart phone and practiced posting to Instagram by taking some photos around the house.

It's such a joy to continue to connect with friends from all over the world via another media venue.

I'm still learning my way around this phone that uncannily seems to know more than I do,

but am enjoying the challenge.

So, as Michigan bids farewell to a short summer,

an even shorter autumn,

and watches warily as winter creeps in...

 I pray that we are spared from another overwhelming season like we experienced last year

when this was the continual view out my kitchen window

before we had over 100 inches of the cold, white stuff

for six long, dreary months.

I will swipe on my favorite YL oils to keep me healthy,

rub some on the Husband's sore shoulder and neck,

clean my house with clove and rosemary,

share IG photos,

close my eyes,

count the days,

and dream 

of 

this...

~  Eucharisteo  ~

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