Heaven's Walk

Tattered Grain Sack Hearts

2012-02-15T15:56:00.000-05:00

While I've been laying low at home with a nasty cold,
(which my darling hubster passed on to me)

I scraped up enough courage (and strength) to haul out my little sewing machine again.

With knocking knees

and whispered prayers on my lips,

I sat down to create some tattered heart sachets using some grain sack material.

I was motivated by all of the hearts I had been seeing of late in blogland.

♥

Now...I must tell you that this particular grain sack was not of the best material.

Not like the ones I usually purchase from my favorite Etsy source.

I picked this one up at the antique market last summer for cheap,
which is why I had no qualms about cutting it up.

It was clean and very linen-like, however -

perfect for this project.

I remembered that I also had some leftover drop cloth scraps in the basement

along with a flour sack towel,

so I used those, too.

I found a heart online, traced in on a manila file folder,

and cut it out.

After tracing it onto the grain sack and cutting it out,

I sewed a button or tag here;

a piece of lace or embroidery thread there;

and added vintage seam binding or grain sack twine to hang them from.

No, the machine was not consistent with nice, untangled sewing lines,

and I found myself almost flinging the thing across the room at one point

because of the clumped snags it was making.
Agh!

But I controlled myself,

re-threaded the bobbin and the needle,
(more than once)

(revisited my self-inflicted sewing assignment)

and attempted it again.

The results were worth my ~~almost~~ patient, prayer-filled effort.

I created a mixed media heart with grain sack material

and some vintage toile,

and I outlined one with red embroidery thread.

I made one using that flour sack towel,

but found that fabric was a little more tricky to maneuver

with my temperamental machine.

I left the edges rough and tattered.

It made them look well-loved.

And yes....

the sewing machine survived to see another day...

for now.

Hope that you were blessed with a Valentine's Day

full of love!

~ ♥ ~

[ Blessings }

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♥ Thank You ♥

2012-02-10T18:09:00.000-05:00

You amazed me.

You comforted me.

You prayed for my family and me.

You blessed me.

I don't even know how to thank you for all of your kind words.

Words of support.

Words of encouragement.

Words of love.

I wish I could give each and every one of you a great big hug.

The stories you shared with me were heartbreaking
yet uplifting,
knowing that we share something else in common.
I was stunned at the number of you who are walking this path with me
or have done so in the past with your own parents.
The advice, suggestions, and information that you passed on to me
will be taken to heart and heeded.
It's such a comfort to know that there are friends out there who
will give me gentle direction
should I lose my way on this journey...

Please know that I treasure each and every one of you.

Know that God loves each and every one of you beyond comprehension.

Know that you are very special

and that He placed you on this earth for a very special reason.

From deep within my heart...

I thank you so

and

I thank Him 

for you. 

[ Blessings ]

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Blessings In Disguise...

2012-02-02T21:33:00.001-05:00

She sat on the examination table swinging her still shapely legs.
Legs that I always envied.

Her arms hugged her body and her gaze settled on the door to the room.

"Are you cold, Mom?", I asked.

"Yes. A little", she answered quietly.

"Do you want me to put your socks back on?"

"Yes. That would be nice."

I bent over her and slipped the thick, cotton socks back on her aging feet, noticing that her toes were bent and misshapen a bit and that it was time for a pedicure.

"Mmmm....that's better".

She smiled and continued to swing her legs back and forth.

Together, we continued to wait.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ten minutes earlier I had met with her doctor, unbeknownst to my parents. I had slipped a note to the nurse asking to meet privately with him. When he completed my dad's physical exam and brought Dad into the room with mom and me, the nurse looked my way and said, "I'm going to pull you out of here a minute."

I knew she had read my note.

The doctor walked into the room the nurse had placed me in.

"What can I do for you, Laurie?" he inquired gently.

Numerous thoughts slipped in and out of my mind. I caught one and told him, "I just wanted you to know that the woman sitting in that room is just a shell of the woman that raised me. A shell of the woman who I knew six months ago."

He nodded knowingly.

I continued. "I know she has dementia. Probably vascular dementia from her strokes and the pituitary tumor, but where do we go from here? She's not only losing the capacity to think of words and carry on a conversation, but she's losing the strength in her legs. She's more depressed and cries so easily. She sleeps a lot. She can't hear a thing and won't get hearing aids. Does she need a geriatrician? Or a doctor who specializes in dementia? And I can tell that Dad is feeling the stress of caring for her. I can see the weariness in his face and the fear in his eyes. Where do we go from here? Are there meds she can take? Extra vitamins we should be giving her? What about support....?

I took a deep breath, realizing I was rambling.

The tone of his voice was soft and caring.

"I know what you're saying.

Yes....your mother has Alzheimer's...."

When I actually heard him say those words, it was almost like I was thrown into a slow motion movie with no sound. I could see his mouth moving, forming vowels, but I couldn't hear the words. I was underwater. Drowning. I struggled to break free and concentrate on what he was saying.

"...and she is certainly not going to get any better. She will need more care in the days ahead. It will be a trying time for you and your family. There is an Alzheimer's Association where you can get more information and support. As far as a geriatrician, I wouldn't be against that at all - if you can find a good one, and that will be difficult.

She needs to eat three good meals a day with fruits and vegetables.

She needs to get regular exercise, and she needs to get out and socialize as much as possible.

Don't let her sit in the house and watch TV all day and all evening."

I nodded numbly and took another deep breath as he continued.

"We'll stay on top of this and will give her the best care we can. If and when you need more help or want to talk again, just give me a call."

We walked back the examination room where Mom and Dad were patiently waiting.

I watched Mom's face as the doctor began to ask her questions while he typed her answers into his computer. She remembered her last name. She remembered what month it was. But her face was pained as she struggled to tell him what year it was, and when her birthday was. I crumpled inside. I wondered what thoughts were going through her mind knowing that she was failing at her answers.

I watched as the doctor listened to her heart and lungs.

"Please, Lord....keep her as healthy as possible for as long as possible...", I found myself praying. "Give us the knowledge to know how to help her through the rest of her life. Give her the strength to keep clinging to the strong-willed spirit she was born with."

I thought back to my childhood. Mom always "wore the pants in the family". She made the decisions in our family life with Dad happily supporting her and backing her up. She and I butted heads many a time when I was younger. We had some interesting arguments and disagreements - probably because we were a lot alike in the way we viewed life. But I knew that I also carried my Dad's laid-back attitude as far as letting things get to us. We knew which battles needed to be fought and which ones to let go.

I looked over at Dad sitting next to me. He looked weary. I knew that he and Mom butted heads to this day - a sure sign of his frustration and fear. He didn't want to lose the woman he loved, and he had no control over it at this point. She was ever so gradually slipping away from us all. I knew how much he loved her, too. I had watched his face many times in numerous hospital rooms during the past 10 years while Mom battled for her life with a bleeding liver, clots in her legs, and a pituitary tumor. He held her hand until the nurses rolled her into the cold treatment room to receive radiation treatments to shrink that tumor. Treatments that would eventually burn her optic nerves resulting in complete blindness in her right eye and 75% blindness in her left. He was there for her through it all. They were so devoted to each other. They were bound together by trials and tribulations as well as through the love of God they shared.

Dad & Mom, October 2011

He had stepped into leading the family during these tough times. He shouldered the responsibility like one of God's faithful soldiers. He knew it was his time. It was like he scooped up the shattered pieces and and patiently tried to piece them back together. He tenderly cared for Mom while constantly giving time and energy to my brother and me. We became much closer while sharing each others' pain. God planned it that way, I think. I believe that the trials in this life are His blessings in disguise.

Mom clung to my arm as she shuffled next to me on our way out of the room, dragging her cane as usual. I was always reminding her to use the cane instead of dragging it behind her. Dad headed to the check out window to complete some paperwork. I took her out to the waiting room and settled her into a chair.

"Where are we going now?" she asked.

"To the building next door to have some blood drawn, Mom," I answered.

"Where?"

"Next door."

"Where's that?"

"Don't worry, we'll get you there, Mom."

"Where are we going? And where's your Dad...?"

A shell. My mother was a shell of the strong woman she used to be. Her thoughts now jumbled together and her personality childlike. Completely dependent on Dad, me, and my brother. Being faithfully carried in the palm of God's hand through each day.

I will always carry that mother I once knew in my heart and soul. She is part of who I am. She is the part of me who will stand her ground and not bend under trials. She is the part of me who will claw her way through experiences that are painful and frightening. She is the part of me who will love deeply and fully with the grace of God.

Someday, she may not remember who I am....

but I will always remember who she is.

God
is bigger than all of this.

I am following Him in my present
and
leaving tomorrow in His hands...

[ Love & Blessings ]

P.S. ~ The new gadget you see on my sidebar is an option to replace Google Friend Connect which is being discontinued March 1.
I would love to have you follow me there
and I will follow each of you as you follow along as well.
Just click on the "Linky Followers" tool to sign up for your own followers gadget for your own blog. It's very easy to do.
(Thanks, Courtney, for the tip and link.)

{all images from source except otherwise noted}

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Vintage Handkerchief Buntings

2012-01-26T16:43:00.000-05:00

Let me start off by saying

I am NOT a seamstress.

Not by any means or margin.

In fact, the last time I ever sewed anything on a real live sewing machine

was way back in junior high school.

Yeah....THAT long ago.

But when I saw some of these charming vintage handkerchief buntings on Etsy,

I thought that maybe...

just maybe

a simple project like this could be my reintroduction into Sewing 101.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Let's begin, shall we?

Assignment #1: Read the sewing machine handbook. This is an important step since you haven't a clue as to what you're doing.There are nice big pictures and very few words in it, so if you're in Pre-K Reading class, this will be a cake-walk.

Assignment #2: Familiarize yourself with the machine. Talk to it and ask for it to play nice.

Assignment #3: Plug it in. This is the easiest part of this whole assignment.

Assignment #4: Learn how to thread the needle. Have your Reader glasses ready. That hole in the needle seems to be extremely small for some odd reason...

Assignment #5: Go back to Assignment #4 and change it to "Learn how to wind the bobbin first".

Assignment #6: Learn how to thread the needle (through that teeny weeny hole).

Assignment #7: Practice, practice, practice on a piece of old fabric first because when you try to do it on the project you're making,

the machine suddenly makes a weird sound and stops working.

Assignment #8: Go back to Assignments #4 & 5 and change to "Learn how to wind the bobbin AND install it correctly".

Assignment #9: Rip out tangled mess on back of project.

Assignment #10: Proceed merrily - but cautiously - on your way.

** ♥ **

Ok ~ so for this project you're going to need:

1 package of double-wide seam binding,

some dressmaker pins,

and

4 or 5 vintage handkerchiefs

Ready?

Cut each hankie in half on the diagonal.

No need to be really neat about it,

but try to cut in a straight line.

(Remember ~ this IS Sewing 101.)

Open up the binding and lay the cut edge of the hankie in the center of it.

Fold it over the hankie and pin.

Yup. Just like this ~

all the way down the binding,

pinning whatever colored and patterned hankies that tickle your fancy in place

end to end (point to point).

With the 3 yards of binding that comes in a package,

I could get about 5 hankie halves pinned in a row

leaving about 3" at each end for ties.
(This will all depend on the size of your hankies.)

Now, here comes the scary part.

Sit down at your machine,

say a short prayer

(this is a very important step),

lay your binding beneath the foot of the machine,

clamp it down,

(say another short prayer)

and

s l o w l y

press your foot on the "gas pedal".

(You're not driving a dragster here, ya know...

That comes with Sewing 901.)

Sew along the edge of the binding

plucking out the pins as you go
because you don't want to break the needle with the teeny weeny hole.

Now...

I know that some of you Sewing 901 brainiac students are thinking,

"Why didn't she iron the binding down?"

Well, I didn't think of that until I got going.

Besides, my palms were too clammy.

Anyway, keep sewing right to the end of the binding.

I actually reversed the sewing at the end

to make sure the stitches were good and secure

with a little doohicky-switch-thingy above the needle.

(You read how to do that in Assignment #1...remember?)

Next,

say a thank you prayer that all went well

and that the bobbin didn't choke up and spit out knots of thread

(Failure to do Assignment #4 & 5)

even though you had to fill the tiny little bobbin a minimum of four different times which meant that you really learned to do it correctly

and probably won't need to read the handbook ever again in your life.

Drape your pretty vintage bunting on your frantel,

stand across the kitchen from it

and try to reach in back of you to pat yourself on the back.

Congratulations.

You have now graduated to

Sewing 201.

(Insert music to "Pomp & Circumstance" here)

These sweet vintage buntings will be for sale at the Allegan Antique Market this spring!

[ Blessings ]

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A Wintry Gift

2012-01-19T22:36:00.000-05:00

Before I say anything,
I just wanted to thank all of you for leaving such kind comments every week.
I read each one,
try to reply to each one,
and treasure each one. ♥
A special welcome and warm hug to all my new friends who are following Heaven's Walk, too!

* * * * *

Quite a few of you asked to see more photos of the property here at Heaven's Walk...especially in the snow.

I think most of the requests came from you lucky birds living in warm, sunny climates. :)

We've been having such a mild winter so far, I wasn't sure when that would be.

But we just had our third big snowfall of the season the other day.

Six inches of the white fluffy stuff fell softly and quietly overnight

to dress houses, trees, and fields in a layer of

pure white.

So, after Hubby and I finished plowing and shoveling our driveway and the neighbor's driveway that morning,

I took a walk with my camera.

Consider this a wintry gift from Heaven's Walk.

* * ♥ * *

Our view across the road where deer peek out from the brush.

View from the neighbor's.

Yes, I'm standing in the middle of the road at 9am...

Standing in the side yard.

The arbor is wrapped in burlap to protect my 'Zephirine Drouhin' climbing roses,

and a piece of plastic covers the vintage cement birdbath purchased at the antique market this summer. I'm looking forward to planting 'Walker's Low' catmint around it in the spring.

The pond is bubbling merrily away.

It was the only sound outside this morning beside the chugging of Hubby's vintage tractor
and the clinking of the chains on the old tires.

Hubby was just finishing up plowing. This kind-hearted man actually plows a path for the visiting deer who traverse through Apple Meadow behind our barn and pass through our property.
They actually showed up on the path right after we closed up the barn

to devour the corn Hubby spreads out for them.

This is the view up the path into our woods.

It's "party central" for the deer, turkeys, and fox.

I turned and looked down into Apple Meadow where the apple and cherry trees grow.
The deer love to bed down here because they feel so safe.

It's a sanctuary of peace and quiet for them.

I turned again to look back toward Heaven's Walk ~

framed by the old mulberry tree
that creaks and groans in the winter winds.

Making my way back toward the house,

the deep red of the barn stood out in sharp contrast against the white world around me.

The sturdy old building was built even before our house was -

way back in the mid-1800's.

Once I made it to the barn, I turned around and looked back toward Apple Meadow.

When I reached the house,

I could see Maizie watching me from the window.

I opened the door and called to her to come outside and play.

She came skidding around the corner into the kitchen

nearly wiping out on the tile floor.

My little girl loves the snow!

Have you ever seen a happier face....?

{Almost reminds me of that commercial with the little pig on the zip line
that goes flying by with an ecstatic look on his face yelling,
"Weeeeeeee! Pure.....adrenaline!"}

I think this little bathing beauty was pretty happy, too...
in a quiet sort of way.

You know....

as I was creating this post, I kept looking back over the photos I took.

My heart overflowed with the love I have for this old farmhouse,
my Hubby, and my furbabies...

and I realized

how very, very

blessed

I really am...

[ Warm Blessings ]

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DIY Subway Art & Puffs

2012-01-15T15:25:00.000-05:00

Ok.

So, I had a piece of wood sitting in the basement

staring me in the face ~

silently laughing at me because I just didn't know what to do with it.

In the meantime,

Hubby got a really bad chest and head cold

and spent all week on the sofa

hugging numerous boxes of Puffs,

source: pinterest

coughing his germs all over the living room,

and guzzling concoctions of OJ, tart cherry juice, and Diet Sierra Mist

by the gallons.

I did everything humanly possible to stay out of the room,

fearful I would inhale one of his cooties

and end up getting sick...

or heaven forbid

he would ask me to pick up his icky snot rags for him

to empty them in the wastepaper basket.

I did mother him,

baby him,

and care for him....

(really, I did)

from a

d i s t a n c e.

I busied myself in my studio,

in the basement,

and in the kitchen.

And that piece of wood continued to laugh.

Then, I had an "A-HA" moment.

I took the wood outside to Hubby's tool room to cut it in half

with the circular saw.

(I saw a flash of "Uh-oh...there she goes again..."

cross his pale face when I asked him from a

d i s t a n c e
how to turn it on.)

Back inside,

I painted the two boards with a couple coats of black chalkboard paint,

and while they were drying

I headed back into my studio to print off some sayings,

and to dig out the white transfer paper

and white paint pens.

(Unfortunately,

Santa failed to bring me one of those new fangled Cricuts.)

I set everything up in the kitchen

(where I could hear poor Hubby's snuffles, snorts and snotty nose)

and got to work.

I taped the sayings to each board with a piece of transfer paper beneath it.

Then, got to work tracing each letter.

That done,

I filled in each letter with a white paint pen

(that you can pick up at any craft store).

After sealing them with a coat of clear wax,

my DIY subway art art was ready to sell!

I'm thinking these need a wee bit of distressing yet...

No more laughing.

That board is now

smiling...

and our germy house

has been

f u m i g a t e d.

[ Blessings ]

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.....And She's Down...!!

2012-01-12T16:58:00.000-05:00

Bet'cha you were thinking
that this was going to be a post about
me doing something really stupid
and falling over something,
didn't you?

Well...I won't lie to you.
I've had my fair share of cartoonish mishaps and clutzy maneuvers in my life ~

Like the time I was hauling a 40 lb bag of kitty litter out of the back of my SUV.
I had forgotten that Hubby had put the trailer hitch back on it
for me to haul the trailer full of mulch around the property.

Yup.
You guessed it.

While hugging that litter bag,
I turned, hit the hitch with my shin,
and promptly fell head over heels into the grass -

the litter bag landing on top of me.

NOT a pretty sight.

I remember thinking
"Ow!! Ow! Ow!! I think I broke it!"

#2 vanity-driven thought was,

"Oh, good gravy...
did the roofers reshingling our house just see me do that...???!!"

#3 vanity-driven thought was:

"Ok.
Graceful. Get up graceful-like, you ninny...

#4 thought:

"Yeah.....right...
with a litter bag laying on top of me....??"

I hobbled around with a huge dent in my shin for weeks after that.

{You're welcome for your laugh for the week.}

But
I digress.

You all know Heaven's Walk as looking like this
on a spectacular late summer day.

This photo was taken about four years ago before the new dark green shingles were put on,
before I created the semi-circular garden beds in the backyard,
before we put up the big white arbor back there
(and before the dent in my leg).

I guess it's time I updated the exterior photos of our home. A lot has been accomplished in the six years we've lived here.

Well, this is what Heaven's Walk looked like on December 11.

A beautifully sunny but verrrry cold winter day.
The temps topped out at 25 degrees.

Yeah...it was cccccold.

And that was the day that the once lovely old maple
and graced our property
and hugged our home
for 130 years
was to be taken down.

It was a bittersweet day for us.

We had been concerned about it after seeing more and more random branches falling after slight winds,
and noticing more and more dead limbs that didn't produce any leaves.
We were also concerned with it being planted only 24" away from the house,
what it might be doing to our foundation.

So, the difficult decision was made to have it removed.

The guys showed up bright and early at 9am bundled up against the cold weather.
We were all glad for the weak warmth of the sunshine.

(And yes....I was out there, too - looking like the Michelin woman...
Nobody was going to call THIS gal a wimp.)

The first thing they did was to decide where to "fell" it.
Then, they wrapped a huge chain around the bottom of the 48" trunk,
and attach a snatch-strap to a large limb
which was then attached to the hitch on a truck.

The truck drove out into the apple orchard (to the left of the house) and pulled the strap tight.
They first cut off one of the extremely large limbs that spanned the width of our house,
then started in on notching the base of the tree.

After insuring that everyone was safely out of the way,
the strap being pulled tight,
and the notch completed...

MIC and son conferring final steps to be taken

the chainsaw began making it's way through the decades of growth.

I was amazed how quickly it bit through that wide base.

Within 10 minutes
she was down
with a
HUGE
crash
and billowing snow.

The ground shivered like an earthquake just rolled through.

"MIC" (Man-in-Charge) wiped his brow,
grateful that the trunk didn't "bite" back into the house
and cause any damage to the foundation or air conditioner.

It fell absolutely perfect
and actually only did minor damage to my old "Dr. Suess" pear tree that I wanted saved.
It's where I hang all of my bird feeders
and where the deer visit every evening.
It's referred to as my Dr. Suess tree because it looks like something right out of his books;
kind of lop-sided and wonky.

The tree fell right between the other old maple and the old pear tree.

The landscape of Heaven's Walk was forever changed.

Hubby actually counted all the rings.

One-hundred and thirty-two to be exact,
with a nine foot circumference.

She was an amazing old tree.

Now the real work began.
Cutting up all that wood,
carrying and carting piles and piles of brush into the woods
for protection for all the little creatures out there,
and stacking smaller diameter pieces into a trailer.

We all worked up a sweat and only took one break....

for lunch.

I certainly didn't have to work out on my elliptical that day.

MIC's son on the left, Hubby in the gray sweatshirt, Tom, our neighbor in the black coat, and MIC's grandson in red.

MIC and his son kept busy cutting and cutting and cutting and cutting.

We kept busy hauling and hauling and hauling and hauling brush
waaaaay out into the woods.
We kept looking back the house ~
amazed at how different it looked.

Pear tree center of photo

I raked twigs and sawdust (and snow...) into piles;
MIC and his son kept cutting;
Grandson kept stacking,
Hubby and Tom kept hauling....

for h o u r s.

The only damage done to my pear tree was the one broken limb you see on the left. Still long enough to hang a feeder from.

After the smaller pieces of wood were stacked in the trailers
to be used for heating MIC's and his son's homes,
the larger pieces of wood were mechanically split.

The entire job was completed and we called it a day at 4pm.

We were all exhausted
but very happy with the way everything turned out that day.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On the way home from church the next morning,
Hubby and I noticed how different Heaven's Walk looked.

Larger.

Like she could

b r e a t h e

now.

It was a little warmer that day,
so we replanted the little pine tree outside the kitchen window
that Hubby had removed to protect it.

Did anyone notice the white freshly painted railing on the widow's walk that was completed by Yours Truly this summer.....? Lovely, is it not?

I rehung the bird feeders on the old pear tree
and within 5 minutes
the chickadees, nuthatch, and finches who were all wondering where their food was,
returned for their breakfast.

We will be planting a pine tree
or two...
or three...
at the corner of the house
where I've always wanted some ~

on this side of the stump, mind you.

We'll have that huge stump ground down first.
Fresh mulch will be laid over the area in the spring so that the
sweet woodruff can take hold.

Photo taken late spring 2010

Thank you, dear Old Maple ~
for shading our house during hot summer days,
throwing your brightly colored leaves across the lawn in the autumn like confetti
(which...yes....did drive me crazy....but the colors were pretty),
and standing like a guardian to our home for so many years.

You will be missed.

But you are now providing heat for two families this winter.

BEFORE

AFTER

[ Blessings ]

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A French-Nordic Winter

2012-01-05T15:49:00.000-05:00

Well, with all the Christmas decorations stored away for another year,

it was a good time to re-floof Heaven's Walk for the winter season.

It was an easy transition this year

because of the neutral palette I used for Christmas.

My soul was still yearning for a indoor "garden" feel -

probably because I'm missing working out in my flowerbeds...

and because we received our first big snowfall.


My little topiary framing the view of the old pear tree outside the kitchen window.

The frantel in the kitchen was dressed with a little fern in a vintage candle pot

and a long vine growing happily in an old urn.

The kitchen is the best place to be in the morning.
It's filled with bright, warm sunshine.

Three vintage French zinc seed pots match the soft gray patina of the little cement garden angel.

A metal birdbath graces the center of our farmhouse table.

It will be moved outside to the back porch in the spring and filled with water for the birds.

It stands in a wooden French tray discovered at Wuslu.

In the living room, the serene French-Nordic style continues

with another long, draping vine in an old urn

next to a small, mercury glass votive.

A French vintage clock is nestled into a smaller version of the same tray on the kitchen table.

It just so happened to fit it perfectly which created a pretty frame for it.

We love to curl up in this room with the fireplace crackling

when the cold winter winds howl outside our windows.
Although, we haven't use it yet this season because our winter has been very mild....
so far.
One month down and three to go.

A big handful of juniper branches sprout from an old garden iron urn on the coffee table.

On top of the TV armoire,

a Nordic cross,

a rusty birdcage on some grain sacks, and the top of an old cheesebox

that I gray-washed and stenciled with some French verbiage,

create a rustic yet elegant vignette.

And in the loo,

a simple sap bucket holds some cedar and juniper branches -

lending a wintry feel to the old ladder and vintage linens.

My inspiration for the French-Nordic style at Heaven's Walk

continues to flow from beautiful Swedish blogs

Vita Verandan

Loppisliv

and

Hvitur Lakkris

(not to mention Courtney's breathtaking home at French Country Cottage

and Rachel's gorgeous home at French Farmhouse 425.)

I would still love to build a house one day.

I've always wanted to.
I can see it finished in my mind's eye,
right down to the knobs and pulls and shade of white paint I would use.

In my dreams,

it would look exactly like Anna's at Vita Verandan...

But until that day comes,

Heaven's Walk will do just fine ~
and we'll spend the winter snuggled into her warm embrace...
waiting for spring.

[ Blessings ]

Linking with the parties on the lower right of my sidebar.
Just click on the buttons.
Be sure to stop by and warm up with some inspiring ideas!

When a Swallow Falls...

2011-12-29T20:56:00.000-05:00

A female swallow was injured when she was hit by a car

as she swooped low across the road.

Her mate brought her food and attended to her

with love and compassion.

When he brought her food again,

he was saddened to find her dead.

He tried to move her

which was a rarely seen effort for swallows.

Aware that his sweetheart was dead and would never come back to him again,

he cried with adoring love.

He stood beside her,

heartbroken by her death.

Finally, aware that she would never return to him,

he stayed beside her body

chirping out his sadness and sorrow.

You have just witnessed the

love

and

sorrow

felt by all of God's creatures.

The Bible says that God knows even when a tiny sparrow falls.

How much more

He cares for us!

In this new year ~

may you live simply

love generously

care deeply

and

speak kindly.

Grace is God reaching down

Faith is man reaching back.

[ Blessings ]

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

Just click on the buttons.

Merry Christmastide

2011-12-23T21:37:00.000-05:00

I need to
thank you.

I need to tell you how much I appreciate
your friendship and encouragement,
your prayers and support,
your love and generosity,

and your inspiration.

I truly believe that God led me to the blogging world
as a way of melding me with some amazing relationships
with fellow sisters-in-Christ ~
who not only have an appreciation for the beautiful world around them,
but for creating peaceful and meaningful atmospheres in their homes.

Thank you.

You are treasured.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“God carries in His heart the fulfillment

to all the desires He has placed within yours.”

May the desires of your heart be fulfilled beyond comprehension this joyful Christmas season.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…
that whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life.
John 3:16

Merry Christmas!

[ Be the Light ]

[ Be the Love ]

♥

Linking to the parties on the lower right of my sidebar.
Just click on the buttons.

Silent Night

2011-12-16T17:03:00.000-05:00

"Silent Night

     Holy Night..."

Heaven's Walk Joyeux Noel house tour
continues with a look at the bedrooms.

As we head up the stairs,

there are three little cedar saplings nestled in vintage pots

on the windowsill at the landing ~

complete with a little jingle bling.

A peek into the guest room

reveals more simple, nature-inspired Christmas decor.
Things that I will probably keep out all winter long
because of their simplicity.

A rustic wire gathering basket on the bedside table holds my JDA magazines.

The beautiful grain sack coverlet on the bed
is from Michele's wonderful Etsy shop,
maisondemichele.
Three grain sacks were sewn together to create this wonderful linen.

The linen/hemp is luscious feeling to the touch.
It's heavy and clean and crisp feeling.

This just may travel to the master bedroom eventually...
or even across the back of the sofa in the living room ~
but for now
I love seeing it as I pass the door of the guest room
at the top of the stairs.

Wire heart: Faded Plains

A simple burlap wrapped pistol pine tree sits in a chippy urn
on top of the dresser with a vintage mirror and frame.

"All is calm..."

The master bedroom has a little more sparkle
with a mercury glass candlestick standing
next to an old, worn candlestick
atop the frantel headboard.

Yes, that is a vintage frantel-turned-headboard.

The library-door-turned-footboard is completed and will be attached very soon.

You can see how we made the headboard here.

The wreath is actually two wreaths bound together ~
one being white pip berries
and the other magnolia leaves.

Mercury candlestick: Target; wooden candlestick: Hobby Lobby; wood salvage piece: antique market

A small faux fir was plunked into a vintage bucket
and trimmed with simple small white lights.
I topped with a small pair of angel wings purchased
at Target.
They remind me of the larger pair of "Toby Wings" that
Sandi sent me that hang on the birdcage in the kitchen.

I wanted a little reminder of my sweet boy as I slipped off
to dreamland every night.

"All is bright..."

"Sleep in heavenly peace..."

Christmastide at Heaven's Walk

Simple.
Natural.
French-Nordic.
Garden inspired.
Peaceful.
Calm.
Bright.

If you missed the tour of the other rooms,
you can see the kitchen here,

and the living room here .

Peace to all of you, my dear friends.

May you experience the joy, wonder,

and true meaning of Christmas

during this blessed season!

[ ~ Merry Christmas ~]

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

Just click on the buttons!

The Joyeux Noel Tour Continues...

2011-12-09T15:28:00.000-05:00

This sprawling mess in the living room

was spillage from the

sprawling mess that was going on
in the kitchen last week.

(click here to take that tour)

But I was sure having fun.

(Maizie....hmmmmm.....
not so much.)

More cedar and juniper boughs,

terra cotta pots,

white candles,

mercury candlesticks,

garden statuary,

grain sack stockings,

and paper whites

were placed on tables and along the mantel.

Simple,

natural,

Jeanne d'Arc.

See my JDA magazine there on the coffee table? I used it as a reference.

I nestled paper whites in my vintage French gathering basket
among white candles and pine cones,
The bare spots were filled with moss.

The gardenia topiary was embraced with service berry and juniper.

The TV armoire was topped with my favorite berried juniper bough
and treasures that usually reside out on the deck during the summer months.

I later added a vintage looking French clock face to the vignette.

French clock: Wuslu

I love it's shabbiness.

Even the knob on the armoire was touched with a little wintery love.

I love my fireplace in the living room.
It used to be stained a golden oak color
until I painted it a couple years ago.

It made a huge difference in the whole atmosphere of the room.

Now it blends in with the creamy white walls
and looks much more French-Nordic.

Anything I dress it with just pops now.

I placed small LED tea lights in the mercury glass votives.

Mercury glass acorn: Target; mercury glass votives: Hobby Lobby

This angel statuary was nabbed at the Dollar Store.
She was originally gold colored.
After painting a base coat of ASCP in 'Charcoal'
and a sloppy top coat of 'Old White',
she now looks vintage and worn ~
and adds a calming presence in the room.

Mercury glass candlestick holder and glass snowflake: Target

Beautiful Christmas stockings, who were handmade by
my sweet, talented friend, Sandi at Wayside Treasures
were hung with care from the mantel.

A tin heart hangs on the shutters behind the chaise.

Tin heart: A Beautiful Life

This is the view out the front window.
The small tree is full of tiny white lights
that will sparkle into our living room
on the cold, snowy nights ahead.

Our living room is quite ~~small~~ cozy.
We tried squishing a regular sized Christmas tree in there a couple years.
Even though we could have a nice, tall 12' one
because our ceilings are so high ~
we had to move so much furniture out to accommodate the width of a tree,
we gave up on that idea.
It just felt cramped and the tree overwhelmed the room ~
even though the fragrance was intoxicatingly beautiful.

So, we settled for a small one plunked in a vintage iron urn
outside of our window for us to enjoy
and to share the holiday spirit with passersby.

Little boxwood wreaths hang on the vintage trifold doors
from white gossamer ribbons...

Wreaths: Farmhouse Wares

And a French cross sits among a juniper sprig on the end table
reminding all who visit here
what the true meaning of Christmas really is.

Peace

Joy

Unconditional Love

Forgiveness

A peaceful, heavenly Christmas at Heaven's Walk...

photo taken from kitchen hallway doorway

photo taken from front doorway

photo taken from corner chaise

photo taken from study/studio

Muslin tag: Wayside Treasurers

Next week: The bedrooms!

[ Christmas Blessings ]

Linking with the parties on the lower right of my sidebar.

Click on the buttons

and check out the beautiful Christmas ideas!

Joyeux Noel in the Kitchen

2011-12-02T19:30:00.000-05:00

Ok.

Please, don't hate me.

I actually had all of my Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving.

I know.

You think I'm ~~smart~~ crazy.

But I just couldn't wait.

I wanted a good month of enjoying the whole glorious season

instead of the three weeks that are the norm.

And since my OCD leaf blowing was completed for the year,

I now had time to floof for Christmas.

Up to the attic I went to start scrounging around in the multitude of bags and tubs up there

filled with balls and bells and boughs,

wreaths and wrapping paper,

lights, lights, and more lights...

and a lot of dead ladybugs.

Ewww.
How in the world do they all get in, anyway...???
Such is the life in a creaky, old farmhouse, I guess.

I ended up hauling down only a couple different bags

because I was going for a certain look this year.

No
red and green.

No
poinsettias.

No
velvet bows.

No
brightly colored balls.

Not the typical Christmas decor for Heaven's Walk this year.

A simple, pared back, neutral, natural look is what my heart was craving.

What would Christmas look like out in the garden....?

Can you guess what that certain look was?

Well, if you know me well,

you'd say ~

"Jeanne d'Arc".

Yup.
You'd be right.

I started sorting through the bags

while the butternut squash in the oven baked merrily away

filling the house with it's sweet scent....

and making my stomach growl.

New brushed stainless jewelry for the cabinetry will be purchased soon. Yay! The glass knobs will be stored away for future furniture projects.

Amidst this mess in the kitchen,

I was searching for juniper boughs,

white candles,

mercury glass,

pine cones and moss,

garden statuary,

terra cotta pots,

and galvanized pails.

I floofed and floofed and floofed

all day long,

and slowly ~

gradually ~

the look was coming together.

I kept running back into the living room to refer to my
JDA Christmas issue
(which was breathtaking as usual).
I wanted my house to look like it jumped right out of that beautiful magazine.

Ready for the reveal?

Grab your cup of pumpkin spice latte

(me, too - please!)

and sit back...

*

*

*

*

I love how the sunshine was washing the room with it's warmth that day.

Cement urn: antique market

Mercury glass votives: Hobby Lobby

Tiny LED tea lights were added to the votives that were tucked in the juniper boughs.

A few left over olive branches were tucked here and there.

Olive branches: Michael's

Nest: Wayside Treasures

I later added a little bling to the nest.

Glass snowflake: Target

I placed some crystal encrusted red dogwood branches across the top of the pie safe.

The subway sign is from Red Letter Words.
I love reading that verse every time I walk into the kitchen.

It's comforting.

"I have loved thee with an everlasting love;
therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn thee."
~Jeremiah 31:3

French script star: Wayside Treasures. Boxwood wreath: Farmhouse Wares.

I recently won this beautiful grain sack pillow from
generous Marty at A Stroll Thru Life.

I adore it.

It was made by talented Ann at On Sutton Place.
She does beautiful work and has an Etsy shop called
Sutton Place Designs.

The darling ruffled Nest pillow slip behind it was made by sweet Shellagh
(a treasured friend of mine)
at Ticking & Toile,
who also has a wonderful Etsy shop.

I like it draped across the back of the wicker chair for now.

If you're looking for some beautiful Christmas gifts,
pop in and check out their awesome handmade treasures.
These gals are over-the-top talented!

Nest pillow slip: Ticking & Toile; grain sack pillow: Sutton Place Designs. Chair color: BM "Wyeth Blue".

I purchased this topiary at a local antique market this summer.
I can't, for the life of me,
remember the name of it.

It starts with a "P", I do know that,
and it looks very similar to 'Angel Vine',
but it has burgandy stems, not dark brown stems.

Anybody have any ideas....?

It's happily growing on the window sill over the sink.

I am soooo loving my kitchen this holiday season,
and am glad that I lugged that ginormous frantel home with me this summer.

Always follow your instincts, girls!
God gave them to us for a reason. :)

Did you want to take a peek into the master loo, too?

Mercury glass acorn: Target

Simple,
natural,
and
Jeanne d'Arc inspired.

Ok.

You can go refill your latte now....

Next week: The living room!

{ Christmas Blessings }

Linking to the parties on the lower right of my sidebar.
Just click on the buttons and check out all of the
beautiful holiday ideas!

Oh ~ and don't forget to participate in the

Christmas Blogger Block Party

and

The Holiday Link Party!

Info on my sidebar!

Brrr! Boots & A Basket

2011-11-29T18:37:00.000-05:00

Brrrr!

As the temps dip ever closer to the winter average around here ~

(which is just waaaay too cold for this girl)

and after experiencing our first 3" snowfall on November 10 ~

(which is waaaay too early for that kind of stuff to be happening,
but thank goodness it melted the next day)

my thoughts tend to shiver their way toward things that will keep me warm.

I want to surround myself with thick, snuggly, bury-yourself-in-it
coziness.

Things that warm my fingers and toes by just looking at them.

A little Christmas in the guest room

Like the vintage French basket full of yarn at the end of the bed
in the guest room...

I just want to crawl right into that pile of angora and chenille
and hibernate for the winter.

{forgetting all about the cold, snowy winds outside my windows
and dream of sinking my toes in the warm sand on my little island beach down south..}

My favorite cashmere-blend gloves and scarf...

and a new pair of warm, furry snowboots

will unfortunately

be getting a lot of use in the months ahead.

Stay cozy.

Old Man Winter's knockin' on the door.

{ Warm Blessings }

Linking to the parties located on the lower right of my sidebar this week.

Click on the buttons, meet some new friends,

and grab some new holiday ideas!

Hangin' It Up

2011-11-25T15:26:00.000-05:00

I hope that you had a blessed Thanksgiving holiday
surrounded by loving friends and family!
I counted my blessings
and YOU are certainly one of them.
Thank you all for your kind words and sweet friendship!

Yeah....I love ya MUCH more than this.....

Now....the diet begins in earnest
[ugh...]
as well as a bunch of Christmas crafting!

Sooooo.....

got some plain, old, boring wooden hangers hangin' around...?

How about prettying them up a bit?

They'd make great Christmas gifts.

or....

you could just keep them for yourself.

I purchased these at a local grocery store.

Paint the hangers with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in "Pure White" and let dry
(which as you know, takes only a whisker of time).

Take out a pretty filigree stamp, and with your gray stamp pad

stamp it at the center of the hanger where the arch is.

Then, lay a piece of paper towel across the lower portion of the hanger.
You don't want any wayward stamping down there.

Take your favorite French script stamp,
(you could use a pretty music stamp, too)
and with a different color ink,
stamp over your filigree impression.

Spray the hanger with a clear matte spray sealer for protection.

{I went back and painted the hook part of the hanger

because I didn't like the bright silver.}

Ahhh.....

much better.

A pretty, vintage JDA inspired hanger.

I stamped a couple with my favorite little bird's nest, too.

Now....

go hang up something pretty ~

on a rack made from a piece of old trim and vintage wire hooks

that you made yourself, too. :)

Hook rack painted in ASCP 'Old White'.

And stand back and smile.

You did well, my friend.

Have a wonderful creative day!

[ Blessings ]

Linking with the parties on the lower right of my sidebar.

Just click on the buttons and

check out the holiday inspiration!

French Script Candles

2011-11-18T21:52:00.000-05:00

Just call me a copycat.

Sandi at Wayside Treasures posted a wonderful tutorial a little while ago
about making some beautiful

French script candles

[that girl is so creative,

and when she's making something JDA...

well....I'm just all over it].

So, of course,

me being me ~

I just had to try my hand at making some.

I couldn't find small, glass votives,

so I purchased some tall white glass candles instead -
at the Dollar Store
for a buck.

Although Sandi used some vintage gauze,

I just purchased regular gauze
and stamped it with pretty French script.

I wrapped it around the candle and Super Glued it,

added a piece of hemp twine

and......

an instant Jeanne d'Arc inspired candle!

Quick, easy, and pretty little Christmas gifts.

Thanks, Sandi, for sharing another sweet little project!

{ Blessings }

PS ~ I spent a recent evening panicked, frustrated, losing sleep,
spending hours on Google reading about "sploggers",
and following over-my-head instructions on how to restore lost blogs

because my own blog had disappeared.

[yup, GONE - pffffft!
Like it never even existed]

I'm sorry, but I will not be replying to any of your comments
unless you have your email address enabled in your Blogger profile
or you leave me your email address with your comment.

Evidently, from what I think I understand,
"sploggers" set up dummy blogs that you can be erroneously be directed to
when you're trying to reply to someone who's email address you don't have...?
And when you do that, something bad happens to your own blog?

I don't even know if that makes sense or not,
but I just won't be taking any chances any more.

I also quickly learned how important it is to
BACK UP YOUR BLOG.
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors
has a very easy tutorial on how to do this.
I'll be backing up on a regular basis, believe me.
AND investing in an external hard drive
very soon.

Thank you Donna, Tete, Heather, Kerrie, Ann, Diana, and Michelle
for your help and support during my panic-filled evening. ♥

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

Click on the buttons and discover some beautiful holiday inspiration!

A bit of nurturing nature...

2011-11-11T21:22:00.002-05:00

Autumn tends to nudge our hearts to bring more of the outdoors inside.

I think for a lot of us,

it has to do with the cold, dreary, winter days ahead.

We feel the need to capture the sweet warmth and rustic-ness of summer

and continue to hold it close and surround ourselves with it.

With that need in mind,
not to mention
the cold weather knocking at my door,
I wanted to incorporate more nature-inspired vignettes throughout this old farmhouse.

In the living room~
a simple vignette of neutrals.


French gathering basket: antique market, grapevine heart: Michael's, nest; Save-on-Crafts, cement urn: antique market

The combination of textures are soothing

and remind me of my walks in the woods this past summer.

The urn was whitewashed in "Old White" ASCP.

In the kitchen,
sits the newest member of the family.

She was purchased at Micheal's a while ago.
There was just something about her colors
and sweet look on her face
that prompted me to take her home.

She happily sits on a piece of Florida driftwood in the vintage birdcage I bought at an antique market last summer ~
next to her nest full of eggs.

"Toby's wings" shelter her cage protectively.

{thank you again, Sandi....♥}

In my study/studio/office

(what am I calling it today...?)

I hung a shade-bones from a small rack I made from a piece of distressed bead board
and a vintage wire coat hook.

Not quite ready to put my lavender away for the season,
a vintage galvanized bucket holds an armful of it
on my bistro chair
that Courtney tipped us off about this summer.
I painted it white.

Pashima: antique market find, lavender: Hobby Lobby

On top of the bookcases next to the bistro chair
is a vignette that whispers of summertime memories

that I'm still clinging to ~

with my favorite old shell
and a vintagey tin heart.

Tin heart: The Beautiful Life, seashell: Florida, hubby: mine

This sweet, new treasure is from Bilancia Designs.
Lisa Moran creates the most amazing things from paper.
Be sure to visit her shop.
You'll find yourself ooohing and aahhhing over her beautiful creations.

I used a gift certificate that I won
to purchase this sweet paper gardenia topiary in a vintage creamer.

The petals look so incredibly real, I almost expected to smell it's sweet fragrance
when I unwrapped it.

It will look so Jeanne d'Arc when it's nestled in the midst of some cedar boughs
at Christmastime.

I'm very anxious to start draping pine boughs throughout this old house.
After spending hours inside the pages of last year's JDA Christmas book,
my inspiration is overflowing
and I'm ready to create a simple, dreamy, rustic, Nordic Christmas atmosphere
here at Heaven's Walk.

Bringing nature into your home - whether real or faux -
creates a warm, "alive-ness" that is both cozy and nurturing during this time of year.

Listen to your heart when decorating for the seasons.

You'll know you have it right
when you hear it sigh...

Be blessed....and be nurtured,

my friends.

♥

[ Blessings ]

Be sure to stop by Fishtail Cottage for a great giveaway!

Linking with the parties on the lower right of my sidebar.
Just click on the buttons
and some wonderful holiday decor and craft ideas!

Playing with Blocks

2011-11-04T20:48:00.000-04:00

I'm

counting my Happies

today.

Because the sun was shining

and the kitchen was flooded with it's bright, warm light.

Days like this are going to be hard to come by in the near future

as winter slides in

and we have day after day of cold, cloudy weather.

So, I took a break today from painting furniture in the basement

to play

in my bright, sunlit kitchen

with some blocks.

This box of wooden blocks dated way back to when I was a child.

(Yeah...I know. That was a lonnnnng time ago.)

After trying to sell them in various garage sales,
nobody wanted them.

So, they always ended up back in my basement.

(I guess kids don't play with blocks anymore...?

I still have the Tinkertoys and Lincoln Logs my brother and I used to build things with!)

When I was ~~cleaning the basement~~ moving things around the other day,

the box tipped over and the blocks spilled out across the rug.

As I picked each one up to put back in the box,

memories of building houses, fences, bridges, and roads with these colorful little blocks

floated around in my head.

Then, the little creativity angel in my head gave me a nudge.

I knew what I wanted to do with them.

Of course there had to be Annie Sloan chalk paint involved, right?

They were lined up like little soldiers

and coated with a couple layers of "Pure White".

I was actually tempted to start playing with them ~

but restrained myself.

After they were dry, I took them upstairs to the kitchen table

where the fun began.

I simply stamped different words on them.

Deciding what words I wanted was the most difficult part.

I just let my heart guide me.

After distressed with a sanding block, I used a coat of Clear wax to seal them.

Yup.

I'm counting my Happies.

And

YOU'RE

one of them!

These blocks will be for sale at the Allegan Antique Market in May!

{ Blessings }

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

Click on the buttons and find some Happies!

French Inspired Transformations

2011-10-29T00:06:00.002-04:00

Warning ~

French inspiration ahead!

I've been painting like there's no tomorrow.

Well...I hope there's a tomorrow.

I've got more painting to do!

I've been working on some poor, ugly ducklings

for my friend, Georgina.

She owns Doster Emporium ~
a vintage grain elevator/lumber mill
she turned into a fabulously quaint antique shop
- full of trinkets and treasures -
with a very interesting history behind it.

The Doster family has owned it for over 100 years.
Georgina knows all of the history behind this beautiful old building,
and gladly gives tours of the building and it's beautiful surrounding property.

She's been giving me pieces of furniture and odds and ends to paint

so that she can sell them on Craigslist this winter,

as well as in the Emporium when it opens again in the spring.

(Or you can call her and she'll gladly open up the shop for you!
1-269-664-3231)

We plan on being vendors at the Allegan Antique Market at the May 2012 show
and will be taking a lot of my painted and her unpainted furniture with us.

Debbie will be coming down again and bringing some of her sweet things to sell, too.

Oh yeah, baby....
we're going to have the best booth there!

So....this is what I've been busy working on in my ~~studio~~ disaster-of-a-basement.

Project #1 was a historical desk that had beautiful French bones,
but was stained a very strange orange color.
Orange?
Really?

I failed to take a 'before' photo of it.
You wouldn't have wanted to see it, believe me...

But this is how she turned out with a little ASCP-love
and a couple repurposed porcelain knobs that used to be on my kitchen cabinets.

ASCP in "French Grey" with "Old White" accents

Project #2 was a very old ho-hum rocker/glider.

Yikes! Is that straw...or HORSEHAIR....?

With a little ASCP in 'Old White', Clear Wax, cushy new foam padding, and a piece of drop cloth,
it morphed in to a delicious French rocker/glider

with a faux grain sack seat.

I'm kind of getting into this reupholstering thing.

I love ripping into those old seats to see what's under there.

I loved the way she turned out,
and almost considered keeping her...

I used FabricMate pens for the first time on this drop cloth seat.

Those things are sweet!

Very easy to use and much more realistic looking than fabric paint.

I didn't even have to use the painter's tape.
I just lined up my yardstick and drew stripes with the chisel tip.

Project #3 was a lonely looking, boring dining chair
(which I started painting before I remembered that I had to take a 'before' photo for you).

She morphed into a luscious French side-chair
with a faux grain sack seat made from more drop cloth ~
and yup, another FabricMate pen.

ASCP in "French Grey"

Are you still with me?

Ok, then.....

Project#4: Can you say ~ "ugly pea-green mirror"?

Pea-green. Really?
Good grief.
What are these people thinking....?

It was lovingly transformed into sweet French chicness.

ASCP in "Old White" with a drybrush of "Paris Grey".

Yes, believe it or not,
there's a Project #5.

Next up was an old gold frame that I whitewashed with ASCP in 'Old White'.

I added a French script piece of scrapbook paper,

swished a little chalk paint on the cardboard backing peeking out behind the large photo,

and inserted a couple vintage photos Georgina had at the Emporium.

The brown resin frame you see behind the picture

was just drybrushed with more 'Old White'

to create a pretty patina.

The old vintage oval mirror tucked in the back
was dressed with 'Old White' and a little distressing.
It's a beautifully made, heavy mirror.

And last but not least,
a plain, old wood sconce was turned into a
sweet, Nordic inspired sconce
with a pretty blue tea light
(that smells like the ocean).

ASCP in 'Old White'

A little paint + a little layering of color +
a whiz of a palm sander + a rub of wax +
a lot of elbow grease buffing to a satiny sheen =

French inspired transformations
perfect for your home.

Like what you see?

Look for these treasures (and MORE!) at Doster Emporium
on Facebook.

We'll be listing them on Craigslist very soon, too!

(or just give Georgina a call!)

{ Hugs }

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Just click on the buttons!

♥ And a warm welcome to my new followers!

Thank you for your comments!

They are ALL read and ALL treasured! ♥

A Bluebird in a Myrtle Tree

2011-10-21T20:41:00.000-04:00

I'll bet you're singing a Christmas song in your head now, aren't you?

Well, this title was better than the one I originally thought of:

"Bird in My Belfry"

(Ok...no comments from the peanut gallery,

thank you very much).

Anyway, Rosemary at Ozma of Odds once again,

in her fairytale-like way,

had me falling head over heels for another beautiful project of hers.

(I truly think we're kindred spirits. I love everything that she creates.)

She recently posted that in many of the photos in the Jeanne d'Arc magazines,

there was some type of topiary.

source: Pinterest

Small, tall, round, thin.

Oh, so very French.

source: Pinterest

It got me gazing around the rooms in this old JDA-inspired farmhouse.

It was lacking in greenery.

There was no topiary.

(gasp!)

I made a ~~quick~~ trip to Michael's.

(I swear I could spend all day pushing my cart around in that store.
On second thought...
I think I could just live there and craft all day...)

I didn't make my topiary as beautifully lacy and glittery as Rosemary's,

source: Ozma of Odds

but after loosely following her tutorial,

I'm loving my rustic little olive tree topiary.

It fits perfectly with my rustic French country farmhouse style.

While on my new greenery kick,

I did discover a couple of charming myrtle topiaries on Ebay.

One for the frantle in a little galvanized pot....

and one for the bedroom,

where I added a sweet little bluebird.

I love opening my eyes to see this every morning...

Almost feels like I'm waking up in a French bed & breakfast...

source: myfrenchcountryhome

Well.....almost.

{ Hugs }

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

Just click on the buttons and join the party!

Did you see Jennifer Rizzo's creative new Vintage Tea Collection and her Winter Nesting giveaway worth $500 dollars? Visit here to check it out.

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It makes it easier and faster for everyone to reply to your sweet comments!)

Crack in my bowl

2011-10-15T21:13:00.000-04:00

Wow.

What a difference a week makes here in Michigan.

Autumn has certainly arrived.

We went from two weeks of 80 degrees and perfectly clear blue skies

barely 50 degrees, cloudy, and hurricane force winds!

Knowing that I am completely OCD about having any leaf laying in my yard

or floating in the water garden,

you should have seen me spastically trying to scoop leaves out of the pond as the wind pushed and pulled me every which way.

It was a losing battle, I tell you.

Even after staking a net across the path in a feeble attempt to block the leaves

from flying into the pond...

they found their way in.

Bubbler started for the winter months to keep the pond from freezing over.

I couldn't lay the net across the pond because of the frog residents hadn't taken their leave yet.

So, little old OCD-me kept scooping as the leaves whirled around me and pulled my hair into something out of a horror flick.

*sigh*

When will I ever learn.....?

On a happier note ~

remember this lovely thing I took home with me last month

from the antique market?

Wonderful, vintage chippiness....

Well, after some sweet-talkin' the sweet Hubby,

we finally lugged it out of the garage,

on a heavy-duty dollie of course,

and centered it in the backyard

in front of the rose arbor.

In the spring,

her pedestal will be embraced with a circle of fragrant catmint ~

my good old "lavender-stand-in".

As much as I adore lavender,

(and you know I do)

it just doesn't last more than a couple years around here

until it becomes woody and sparse.

So, I substitute my beloved catmint instead.

Catmint grows extremely well in our soil.

It blooms from spring through autumn -

big, full, and fluffy -

keeping the bees and butterflies busy,

and it smells so good.

Anyway, this poor girl had a few cracks in her bowl

(something Hubby has informed me that I have... funny man...)

because of her age;

but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a little cement putty.

(I went nuts with the cement putty this year.

There's just something about having that caulking gun in my hand,

spying a crack in the sidewalk or garage floor

and filling it with that wonderfully pliable gunk

that makes me happy.

I love caulking around windows, too.

Hmmmm....

maybe I DO have a crack in my bowl.)

The white butterfly bushes on each side of the arbor outdid themselves this year.

Yup...that's the newly weatherproofed deck...)

It only took two days for the first bather to arrive.

A robin sprucing himself up for his flight south

so that he looks handsome on his trip with his lady friends.

See ya in the Spring, buddy.

Have a safe flight.

Well, back to scooping.....

{ Hugs }

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Prince Charming, shaky knees, and peanut butter paint

2011-10-10T18:53:00.000-04:00

Okay...

I know you all don't want to hear this.

But I have been

SOOOO

busy!

(My excuse for not getting back to reply to all of your lovely comments.)

Autumn always brings a truckload of outside chores that need to be accomplished

before the cold weather sets in.

And with the absolutely picture perfect Indian Summer weather we've been having for the past couple of weeks,

I've been able to accomplish a lot.

Needless to say....

I. am. exhausted.

Birdhouse clean-up duty was first on my list.

When I climbed up on the ladder with my trusty bend-nose pliers

to pull out the old nest from my favorite birdhouse along the woods,

this little guy popped out.

Prince Charming in disguise!

He was clearly perturbed that I would have the gumption to wake him from his beauty sleep,

and slowly climbed out onto the side of the house using his sticky little toes to hang on.

He eventually made like a tightrope walker and traveled up a nearby branch

to watch me finish my job.

What a show-off....

Then it was on to painting the railing on the "widow's walk" above our front porch.

NOT my idea of a good time,

but it had to be done.

I had procrastinated long enough.

Like four years.

See how high up that baby is...?

My knees shake when I climb a 6' ladder.

Nine long, backbreaking hours later, I climbed back through the bedroom window

(the one on the left - which is the only way access to the walk).

The railing looked so much better.

Cleaner.

Brighter.

Almost like new!

(However, don't bother asking me to paint that railing ever again.

A new PVC railing will be installed next time.)

Next on the agenda was painting the floor of that widow's walk.

(Another project I had been procrastinating on.

Like...ummmm... four years....)

The seamed metal roof was showing signs of rust.

So, Hubby gave me some special metal/tar paint he had stored in the barn.

Back out through the bedroom window I went.

I tell you....it was like painting with peanut butter.

Thick (really thick) and gooey.

Difficult to spread.

A great workout for my arms, though.

Reaching for the 18" of roof that extended out past the railing was a real trick,

but after dragging myself back inside 4 hours later ~

another project was completed!

After waterproofing the back deck with my neighbor's help today,

Chore #4 - completed!

Oh, and see that huge, old maple tree on the left side of the porch?

That's coming down (finally!) the first part of November.

(i.e. - less leaves to blow...)

I think I need a vacation....

Oh, and I never showed you what I purchased at the last couple of antique markets I went to!

How about some tri-fold shabby shutters in need of a good cleaning and painting (after somebody obviously had a hayday with a paintball gun....)?

How about a beautifully restored vintage rotary telephone that works!

I've been yearning for one of these for many years.

It's the type that I grew up with as a child.

I adore dialing it and the sound it makes as the dial goes around. :)

(Yeah...I'm easily entertained.)

Oh, and you should have seen Hubby the first time that sweet thing rang one morning.

I had to pry him off the ceiling fan.

Good night, all!

I'm off to bed to rest these weary bones...

{ Tired Hugs }

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Autumn's Arrival

2011-10-01T16:47:00.000-04:00

Autumn has arrived at Heaven's Walk

with falling jeweled toned leaves,

falling temperatures,

and, of course....falling rain.

Just a tease of what is yet to come, I'm sure.
We're in Michigan after all.

But after a solid week of cold, miserable, blustery rains,

we were blessed by the weak warmth of sunshine today
and the promise of a week ahead of Indian Summer
with not a drop of rain predicted.

HALLELUJAH & AMEN!

The sky is once again azure blue,

creating a gorgeous backdrop to the colorful trees outside my windows.
The winds have calmed from hurricane force,
and it's nice not to hear pelting rain on the rooftop.

So, since I was cooped up inside for the past seven days,
and since there is always something to here in this old farmhouse,

I tackled the disaster (that...ummm... I created) in my basement.

Now....I must tell you
that an area like this anywhere in my house

drives
me
insane.

No place to walk.
No place to work!

(and no...I am not a hoarder...)

There were a handful of things that needed some ASCP love
so that I could get them back to Doster Emporium to sell.
So, I dove right in.

A couple of stools that were originally ugly blue with tweed cushions
repainted, stenciled, and reupholstered
with drop cloth...

This sweet door was a treasure I brought home from the antique market. I fell for the awesome patina. Can you blame me...? You'll see it later in this post, so keep reading. The awesome desk behind the door is my next project.

A vintage wooden frame
swiped with three neutral colors...

ASCP colors: Country Grey, Old White, Paris Grey, and Dark wax

A sweet little plant stand...


ASCP colors: Old White, Paris Grey, Clear wax

A primitive wooden shelf...

ASCP colors: Country Grey

A fancy little shelf....

[errrmmmm....sorry for the blur....] ASCP colors: Paris Grey, Old White, Country Grey, Dark wax

and a boring bench/table turned into a lovely thing
with a little French script...

ASCP color: Country Grey, Clear Wax. (See the 'before' in the 2nd photo.)

While all that paint was drying in the basement,
I did some autumnal floofing in the kitchen and living room ~
keeping everything very neutral and serene.

I want to bring in as much Jeanne d'Arc influence into my home as I possibly can.

Vintage desk lamp, wicker cloche, square galvanized pots: Allegan Antique Market

Hobby Lobby orange pumpkins painted white.

Vintage books: Allegan Antique Market

Faux myrtle tree from Arcadia Silk Co. which I plunked into one of the galvanized pots and covered with moss.

Sign I made from an old piece of decking.

Here's that sweet door!

Alabaster lamp and old cement pot: Allegan Antique Market

Vintage light fixture plate I turned into a candle holder: Allegan Antique Market

Now....

I need to get outside and brave the cold temps
to store away the deck furniture,
clean out the pots of annuals,
empty the pond, vacuum it out, and refill it,

and of course,
start blowing leaves...

my most favorite thing in the whole wide world.

[insert sarcasm, rolling eyes, and gagging here]

Maybe I'll pretend it's too cold
and just stay inside

to do some more floofing....

{ Hugs }

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Just click on the buttons and nab some inspiring fall decorating ideas!!

Wonderful Wicker & Soggy Slickers

2011-09-25T19:46:00.000-04:00

I nabbed this sweet little wicker table

during my first "vendoring experience" at a local antique market last month.

She rode home next to my "frantle" that now lives in my kitchen,

(which I still can't stop looking at)

and the vintage wicker settee

which has been stored away in our barn until I can work on it next Spring

(when the sun is shining...

and it's not raining...

and it's warmer...

if you get my drift).

She was on display in one of the pavilions.

People kept walking by her like they didn't know she existed.

Probably because she was whispering MY name.

There was a lace doily on top of her

with some ugly urn or something...

which, come to discover,

was discretely hiding a nasty, puckering, ring of wet wood

on her nasty veneer top.

But her wicker...

ohhh....her wicker...

was beautiful.

Her color....not so much.

But I lugged her to my car,

knowing that she had the potential of becoming

something quite pretty.

(I do not assume responsibility for the number of people

who were knocked down as I wrestled this baby to my car

all by myself...)

Not knowing what I was going to find laying in the depths of that veneer,

I tentatively started peeling the layers off with my fingers.

And peeling.

And peeling some more.

I found my courage and started in with the putty knife,

chipping and chipping.

What did I find?

Oh, good gravy.

Another layer of ugly veneer.

UGH!

So, with putty knife in hand once more,

I started in again.

(It was almost like peeling sunburned skin.

Know what I mean?

That weird sense of satisfaction you get when you peel that flaky skin away in sheets....

Ok.

Maybe not.....)

This time, after more chipping and peeling,

a pretty, solid wood top was revealed

just asking for some Annie-love.

I painted the wicker part of the table with ASCP in Paris Grey

and the top got washed in Old White ~

and I let it dry for a couple hours.

THEN the fun started.

(More fun than peeling sunburned skin...)

With my trusty little sander purring away,

I distressed her

all over.

A little here and a little there.

A lot here and a lot there.

A buffing of clear wax later,

and she was once more a beautiful, vintage French lady

who is now gracing the corner of my living room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On another note,

Michelle and I spent today at the last local antique market of the year.

It rained.

A lot.

But we grinned and bared it

(despite soggy hair,

and blisters from new boots

which made me walk like some ghoulish character

from a Halloween movie

or The Humpback of Notre Dame's sidekick).

We had a great time

in our slickers

beneath our umbrellas,

and brought home a car load of treasures.

{Well....maybe not THAT many....}

[And...ahem....do not let that girl, Michelle, fool you.

As sweet as she is ~

she's as red-neck as they come.

You should'ave seen all the splotches of muck covering her Jeep

from doing U-ies in the muddy field finding the perfect parking spot.

She's a wild one, that girl.]


{Well.....maybe not THIS bad.....}

I'll be floofing the house with my goodies tomorrow,

so you're just going to have to wait til next time

to see what rode home with me...

Have a great week ~

and thank you for all of your sweet comments!

You always know how to bring a smile to my face!

{ Hugs }

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Dancing on White

2011-09-16T22:32:00.000-04:00

I've been hiding something from you.

I don't think I ever shared the incredibly ugly "desk" in my kitchen with you.

*snort*

Probably for good reason.

Take a look at it....

but don't linger too long.

It's reeeeally ugly.

Lovely boring, beige, swirly patterned, 1980's laminate.

Yeah, I know. I know.
That television is now considered an antique, I'm sure....
We want to buy one of those under-the-shelf type ~
soon.
It's just not top priority right now, unfortunately.

See that ugly, bumpy tile on the wall?
It's the same thing that's on our counters.
We hate it.
It was tan when we moved here.
I painted it white immediately.
It will be replaced....someday...
with white bead board backsplash
and a soapstone-type counter.

Anyway, in an attempt to "pretty up" that desk space,
I made an under-the-counter skirt from leftover drop cloth fabric.
I didn't even pull out a sewing machine.
I don't have one.

I used that seam binding heat tape stuff to create the rod pocket,
slipped in a tension rod
and ta-da!
Instant French country!

(Just one more way to bring more white into the kitchen
without painting the cabinets.)

I had originally considered painting that laminate top with

Annie Sloan chalk paint.

In fact, I checked with a distributor who said it would work

if I put three or four coats of poly on top for protection.

But while whitewashing my wicker baskets recently,

I had an "ah-ha" moment.

After some scrounging around in our barn for a while,
sorting through all the scrap, trim, and barn wood,

I hauled out a 2"x28' board.

(Should have seen me maneuver THAT monster down the loft stairs...
Pulled a muscle in my shoulder doing it....
but by George...
I did it myself!)

It had a lovely, weathered gray patina.

I hoisted it over my shoulder, made like a lumberjack,

and walked into hubby's tool room in the garage.

He looked up from what he was doing,

and I was met with the usual

"Uh-oh....."

and the ever infamous

eye-roll.

After I explained the vision bouncing around in my head,

he actually agreed

(reeeallly.....??)

it would be a great idea

AND

went to work on my vision immediately!

Will wonders never cease....???

Out came the measuring tape, pencil, square, and saw.

Hubby: "Do NOT do that happy dance right now!

I'm trying to cut this straight!!!"

Me: (bouncing up and down) "Okay! Okaaaayyy!!!

But this is going to look soooo gooooood!"

Hubby: "Stop your dancing!!!!"

Me: "Not even a liiiiitle.....??"

Hubby: (now bellowing) "NO!"

Me: (mumbling)....."Party pooper....."

When he threw me the hairy eyeball

I knew I needed to stand still.

We cut and we he wood glued.

We used some cool vintage wooden clamps to hold the boards together while they dried overnight.

See that jaw dropping gray patina...?

The following day

I hauled that beautiful but h-e-a-v-y future desk top to the backyard

for a wash.

A whitewash.

I used the same technique that I did on my wicker baskets.

Watered down a little Annie Sloan "Old White" chalk paint,

and had a bucket of water and a clean brush ready.

I worked in sections.

Paint - then water,

letting the milky white watered down paint run down the boards,

catching in the crevices and knot holes.

I gave it two coats of whitewash.

Yum.....

After a couple hours drying time, I used my little palm sander to distress it.

I lugged it inside to the kitchen
(another monumental task)

and laid in on top of the bottom cabinets.

I painted on light coat of AS clear wax,

let it dry for a couple hours,

then buffed and buffed and buffed.

BEFORE

AFTER

I couldn't wait to show hubby.

When he walked in the door that evening,

I could have sworn that I saw a weeee bit of happy dance touch his toes

as he said,

"Ya know.....THAT was the best idea you've come up with yet!"

We both stood there smiling stupidly

and petted the table for a while ~

oohhing and aahhing.

We loved it.

It was a good thing.

Hubby: "You can happy dance on your table now....."

Me: "I am....."

{ Hugs }

PS Please keep sweet Anne in your prayers.
Her momma passed away this week.
She is hurting..

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Make Yours Vintage

2011-09-10T21:21:00.000-04:00

Hey, chickies!

Do you have any baskets laying around that you don't know what to do with?

Baskets that are ugly and boring?

Baskets that are that typical yucky wicker color

or just plain ho-hum?

Photo: Ozma of Odds

Want to make them look like vintage French baskets?

Well, I was over-the-moon thrilled when I came across Rosemary's

French market basket tutorial recently.

She took a basket she found at JoAnn Fabrics and made it look 100 years old.

It was breathtaking when she got done with it.
That girl never ceases to amaze me.

Photo: Ozma of Odds

Quite a transformation, huh?

OK.
Now, pick your chin up off the floor.

I hunted high and low for that same wonderful French market basket.

What I discovered was that it was not available in every JoAnn's store.

With Rosemary's help, I ordered one from the store in Flint, MI.

Until it arrived, I wanted to practice her technique on some baskets I had sitting in my basement.

So, after a quick run to Hobby Lobby for paint,

(quick, considering I spent two hours there instead of four...)

I set my supplies up outside

(which is where you'll want to do this -

because if you're anything like me

you'll end up looking like you've been hit by a squirrel with a paint gun...

or a bad case of anemic measles.

I probably just should'ave worn a raincoat...)

Hmmmm....maybe that's why Rosemary used foam brushes?)

Rosemary applied more of a tan base to her baskets.

I wanted to try a darker base.

In one container, I mixed a little Traditional Burnt Umber with Black until it was a dark, coffee bean color.

Add a little white to lighten up the color, or black to deepen it.

(Pretend you're a real artist.
I did.)

Then, I painted my basket.

None to neatly, mind you.

Just kind of slopped and swished.
leaving some of the original basket color show through here and there.

And waited patiently for it to dry completely.

I mixed some Wicker White with a little bit of water in second container.

(I'm learning to save used margarine containers for this.)

In my third container, I had just plain water with a clean brush.

When the basket was dry,

I painted some of the watered down white paint on one side.

Putting that brush down and picking up the one in water,

I swished that across the basket where I just painted,

letting the now-white water run down the wicker

giving it a white-washed look.

It caught in the little crevices

creating a swoon-worthy patina.

"Painting" on the water over the white paint.

I continued on to the next side of the basket applying the same

white-washing technique,
alternating the white paint mix with the water
to get the patina I was looking for.

See how it catches in the crevices? Instant vintage....

When the entire basket was completed,

it was pretty wet.

So, I set it in the sun to dry.

Four different baskets received a little vintage love that afternoon.

Cute lambs, huh? (Stop laughing....)

Base coat completed (and no more lamb chops).

The finished project.

Each basket I did ended up with a little different patina.

Each of them beautifully vintage French looking.

This true French gathering basket already had a beautiful gray/brown patina. I just gave it a quick whitewashing.

(*sigh....)

I used this same technique on a new tabletop recently, too.

But that tutorial is for another time... :)

A little autumn decor is drifting into Heaven's Walk...

So, grab that ugly basket sitting there on your shelf,

and make it vintage!

And...uh....don't forget your raincoat....

Thank you, Rosemary, for the inspiration

and your great tutorial!

{ Hugs }

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See you there!