All the Season's Hours: April 2012

Sunday, April 29, 2012

~For our Bleeding Hearts~

He Gave Everything.

"A condition of complete simplicity,

(Costing less than nothing)

And all shall be well and all shall be well

All manner of things shall be well."

~T.S. Eliot~

Friday, April 27, 2012

~From Inspiration to Actualization~

(or in other words 'a miracle')

It all started about four years ago . . .

I found this little slice of heaven in a magazine (can't recall which one).

Promptly I cut it out,

added it to my notes and tucked it away;

vowing some day I too would have a darling plate rack to cozy up my kitchen.

And so (a lot of) time passed . . . and I would glance at this little picture here and there,

still dreaming of filling in the dead space over my microwave with charm.

Now fast-forward to two weeks ago-

when I finally got around to the April issue of Country Living and saw this:

But this time I didn't just rip out the picture I found so inspiring, no-

I actually did something about it!

But, before I show you what I finally did . . . I need to show you the second half of my inspiration:

my kitchen crock.

This is one of my most favorite things in my kitchen (and believe me, as my kitchen dates back to 1982, there is precious little in there I really like).

Anyway, I found this beauty five or six years ago at an antique store and fell in love. It's an old crock that someone had actually hand carved a wooden lid for and added a lovely glass handle. The color sealed the deal for me . . . I am a green girl, and in my mind this color says "1930's Happy Green"-

and so, this treasure has sat on my counter, hiding my ugly vitamin bottles in something happy & green.

So . . .

What do you get when you add magazine inspiration to vintage crockery?

Well, for one, a few days spent on the kitchen floor with hammer, nails, wood, paint and 'help'-

But after lots of 'learning by doing' and plenty of mistakes, this came about :

In general, I'm pleased with how it came together- especially considering I have never built anything in my life and have no power tools other than my own arms. I had really been hoping to back it with bead board, but I was determined to 'use what I have'- which included $25 on a Home Depot gift card that was pretty much wiped out after purchasing the wood and paint.

So anyway, considering it was virtually 'free', I am quite happy-

though I'm longing to make another while I still remember how, not to mention I have tons of design ideas floating in my head! Who needs a plate rack?!

Have a wonderful weekend full of inspiration!

Cheers!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

~Don't Be Fooled . . .~

Calm? Cuddly? Docile?

HA!

Regardless of how 'sweet' this one looks, know that it is all an act.

Below is a small taste of some of the naughtiness this one partakes of.

(mind you, he had to break through the screen in order to do this!)

Oh, but there is MORE!

And the finding of white fur EVERYWHERE is the least of this animal's transgressions!

Behold . . . the wallpaper in our hallway (only a year or so old).

I want to cry every time I walk by- which means about 300 times a day.

And yet . . . it gets worse . . .

Once upon a time, this poor old chair was whole.

And didn't threaten you with splinters whenever you sat down.

And try as he might to persuade you he had no choice, just know that plenty of appropriate scratching options have been offered.

He just thinks he's an artist like everyone else here . . . he's just re-sculpting; making his vision plain.

Oh, yes. He may be cute . . .

but don't let him fool you for a minute!

Cheers!

Monday, April 23, 2012

~Scenes from Sunday Afternoon~

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the

everlasting arms.

Deuteronomy 33:27a

Cheers!

Friday, April 20, 2012

~Tip-Toeing Through the Tulips~

Another week flying by.

A few moments captured from Monday to Friday.

The tulips- my beacons of cheer - are nearly done with their spring time visit.

Lots of rain mixed with sun.

Lots of peering from the rain-splattered windows eager for dry spells.

Some brightness in the dark hours of the days.

Some painting to spread that brightness to others.

Some remembering to see the gifts.

Always Laundry.

Some loads more time-consuming than others.

Some Inspiration:

More projects. More dreams.

Some Spring Cleaning:

how wonderful is it to not smell the fridge before even opening it?

Some time spent with family, good food and good wine.

What moments did you capture this week?

Happy Weekend!

Cheers!

"We must have faith during the period of our grief. We think that our afflictions will be greater than we can bear, but we do not know the strength of our own hearts, nor the power of God. He knows all. He knows every folding of the heart and also the extent of the sorrow that he inflicts. What we think will overwhelm us entirely only subdues and conquers our pride. Our renewed spirit rises from its subjugation with a celestial strength and consolation."

-Francois Fenelon

Friday, April 13, 2012

~Gardener~

A bit of earth I weeded and uprooted. Once full of flowers along with weeds and grasses that took over.

I pulled and dug and clawed up the ground.

It is so hard to pull out those plants that once were meant to be there.
I found them there; hidden under grass and weed and choked by roots that once were so small and easy to ignore . . . but now they've taken over.
There isn't much left of what once was.

And so it all has to go . . .

And the ground is bare and uncluttered.

Empty.
But snugly held by surrounding rocks.

I sprinkle seeds- seeds so tiny I can't see where they land. There is no visible proof they are there.
Only the sound of them shaking free from their package.

And I push what I cannot see into the earth . . . patted it down.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

There is only a passing picture in my head of what it may look like someday.

But . . .

God knows every color to come.
The height, and placement of every stem, leaf and petal.
He knows when they will first poke up as little green specs. He knows which seeds will never live but continue in their dry death. He knows which will thrive in the sun and soil and become the show-stoppers that will identify this little spot.

And I know He is gardening in me.

Cheers!

Monday, April 9, 2012

~Back from Break and a Winner~

Spring Break and Easter Sunday-

like a blur they are done for yet another year.

How can we possibly be approaching mid-April already? The month just started!!

We enjoyed our break last week:
headed up north to stay with some friends for a few days and family for a few days more.
Returned home late Friday night and with all the Easter festivities and trips to the grocery store to replenish our empty cupboards I still have endless loads of laundry
to wash and bags and suitcases waiting to be unpacked in the mudroom.

They will have to continue to wait as the sunny weather is finally back and the garden is beckoning me.
There is so much 'spring cleaning' to do out there. Today alone I spent over an hour and a half just cutting up the dead clippings from the butterfly bush that was piled out underneath it all winter.
So nice to have that pile gone . . . so much more to tend to.

And speaking of tending to the garden, I have a 'gardening giveaway' I need to tend to-

BUT,

first I really must share the cuteness that took place this afternoon in the rocking chair!

My two fur-boys were happily sharing it together, which is a rare occurrence.

Quinn (below on the right) claimed it as his chair over a year ago and he rarely shares.

In fact, he was curled up in my lap this morning elsewhere when his brother (Twister, the white one)

saw that the rocking chair was unoccupied- so up he went, and just as he was settling Quinn jumps off my lap, flies across the room and attacks his brother out of nowhere . . . it's HIS chair!

However . . . on occasion he is in a sharing mood . . .