Tuesday, March 29, 2011

focus...

i wanted to play tonight
with you all for white wednesday
so
i
dug in my files


focusing



on what my decorating loves are



sometimes it helps to see it through the camera lens


i love white paint


 i love white lace


i love white buttons


i love white dresses


 i love white chippy 


blogging has helped me to focus on pretty
to see beauty even if there is chaos around me


I am focusing on the prize
It is in sight.
It is becoming more clear. 

I can see it.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

it's a keeper...

I wanted to show you a bit of  
 pretty


It hasn't been all work
and no play around here.

One of the things 
I am trying to keep in mind
as 
I sort
and 
decide
is:

Do I love it?

Does it reflect me?


This met my requirements.



It is
keeper.


I do love it.
It does reflect me.



It is unique, old and so pretty.

It has handpainted roses and words

I've had it for a long time
and
it has looked like this for years...


the dark green mat is from my victorian decor days
not right for today's look

in order to really make progress
I also need to finish projects
so after deciding that it was a keeper
I set aside an afternoon to work on it

I painted the mat
and
then went after it with my spritzer of coffee


much better, don't you think?




to address my last post.
I'm not sure why I posted all of that
I tend to be like that.


impulsive


But what I did not expect was 
your response
as raw and as real as my post was
your response was equally so
humbling, tear-producing, honest
you encouraged me to keep going,
you understood me-you struggle in this area,too.




because of you, my load is lightened.
of course, these comments from my girls mean the world to me.


I wish I had read this when we were visiting earlier! Becuase I would have told you that I CAN see a difference!! This post is real, and real is often raw, bringing tears. Keep at it....you can do it and still love your house!
By Mrs. MK on where am I ? on 3/22/11




I'm proud of you Mom. You are making great progress, and I am so glad to see you trying! :) Love you tons. And you should check out this: http://becomingmrsg.blogspot.com/p/graphic-design.html
By Mrs. G on where am I ? on 3/23/11




I have all of your comments, sitting in my inbox,
to read again 


I will publish  them as I make my way to your place
because they deserve a personal reply
YOU deserve a personal reply.


if any of you are concerned about the lack of comments,
don't be.
they are there.


You're
a 
keeper.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

where am I ?

(warning: keepin' it real post ahead)

This post has been brewing for some time.


Should I  share?
Should  I keep quiet?


 If this is about  MY PASSIONS;
then this is what I'm all about 
right here, right now. 


I am here


 and here


and here.




Donna at Everyday Elegance 
has encouraged me to 'fess up.

I am a keeper.
I am NOT a clean-freak.
I have this quote at my desk.

 a creative mess is better than tidy idleness


I have always been this way.

I am too sentimental.
I love pretty things.
I LOVE old stuff.
I love a bargain.
I can NOT make decisions.
I LOVE old stuff.
I have an antique business.
I need inventory.
I LOVE old stuff.


That, my girlfriends, is a recipe for disaster.


stuff

it 
has taken over
 my home 
and 
it has taken over my life

it is everywhere

to say that there has been conflict is an understatement

conflict with my children
conflict with my husband
conflict in my own heart


every morning 
i would wake up
 and say 
today i will win, today i will  make progress

everynight

I would make my way through the path 
of piles 
to my bedroom
(we have the  last room in the house) 
and fall asleep thinking 
about what a failure I was


everyday. everynight.

when viewing a hoaders episode
I did NOT think
those poor people...why do they live like that?


I would think, "I am so close,
that could be me living like that"

my husband moved my stuff last fall
and I was so  mad 
I could have spit nails

wake-up call

last  winter when my newly, married daughter and her husband
wanted to come stay the night
I didn't have a place for them

in. this. great. big. house. i. did. not. have. a. place.


wake-up call

but the final straw was 
when I finally came face-to-face
with the fact 
that my family was embarrassed by the mess.
I was an embarrassment to my children.
I was an embarrassment to my husband.


wake-up call

ouch.

How did I let it get so out of control?

I was trapped.
Trapped by my stuff



enough is enough

Since January,
I have been on a mission
a mission to
reclaim my home.

It is a long and difficult task.
I am getting there,
slowly.
I still have so far to go.
but 
I  am determined.



Now, every night 
I ask my Mr.
Do you see it?
Somedays it is just a bit
but
progress
is
progress.

Donna's post came just at the right time.
(10 weeks of this and I'm only this far?)

I was feeling tired and discouraged
but she has encouraged me to keep going.

THANKS Donna
over the next few days
 I might share some of my strategy
or 
I  might  not.
My computer time has been limited
because
I am here


oh, progress
sweet progress




my sweet friend reminded me of one of my favorite verses:




"The unfailing love of the LORD never ends!


By his mercies 


we have been kept from complete destruction.

Great is his faithfulness;

his mercies begin afresh each day.


 Lam. 3:22-23




thanks jane, for the words of hope 

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

love never quits...

we were both 16 when we met
highschool sweethearts



 He was 
 funny, out-going, fun-lovin', full-of-highschool spirit.

I was 
the bookworm, way-too-serious, shy girl. 


opposites, you might say.


we came from broken homes
but
we were full 
of  love 
and
full of dreams


simple dreams to
fill our (old) home with lotsa babies
and
lotsa love
love for each other and love for our God


The first 15 years were our adventure years.

we had those babies (5)
we lived in those old houses (4 of them)
we began the adventure of homeschooling
we played football in the yard
we began a family-based business to teach our children to work
(we bought, renovated and re-sold more old houses together)
we had chickens, bicycles, gardens, cookstoves
we built a new house to look like an old house...

Those were happy times:
I had  my squared paper...always planning
and he had  his hammer...building.

Our dreams came true.



we served together, we played together, we laughed together  
and 
we loved together.

It was an easy, fun life with wonderful memories.



The second half has been our hard years.
we have had difficult times
our marriage has been tested
there has been much grief.

his. mine. and ours.

If you have ever lived with someone 
while they grieve 
you will know what I am talking about.
the times when you wonder
Where is that man (woman) I  married 
and 
will he (she) ever come back?


These have been the years when the words
for better, for worse
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
when the I do's


were not just words anymore
but 
choices.

I am a simple girl.
I cling to simple promises and simple commands:

 Love is patient, love is kind.
 It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 
 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
 it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 
 Love does not delight in evil 
but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.


 my simple-er paraphrase:


Love never quits.

You do not know how much I have relied on this.
  Grace has been given.
Love has been sustained.

I am sharing all of this
because maybe there is someone out there reading
that wants to quit.
Do. Not. Quit.


Let God be your strength, your grace, your love.



You know, the first 15 were fun
but 
these last years?

These are the years that  really mean something.

Are we (is he) healed?

Not yet.

But we're (he's) getting there
and 
God is faithful.

I love my guy
and
he loves me.

We promised each other and we promised God:

until death do us part


Today 
I celebrate   31 years  of
  fun and  struggle
  joy and  pain
laughter, tears, and madder words.



I celebrate a love that does not quit.



photos  from the *barn shoot*...
jamiehudsonphoto.com

Monday, March 7, 2011

weekend happenings...

it was an exciting weekend
my girl youngin' 
played 
in her league championship basketball game


Did you know 
that we have our own 
homeschool team?


her daddy, the coach


part of the cheering squad


 it was a barn-burner
double overtime
she spent most of the game like this


she played her heart out


and we won!
~
~
other exciting  news
(Miss) Mrs G submitted this photo


in the sisters competition
 on
pioneer woman

it made it to the top 10
it was one of my favorite wedding photos
there was so much true emotion

check out the finalists...there are some beautiful artful photos

the winning shot is so very sweet