vintage white...

Welcome to

White Wednesday!

I love old pieces of architecture.

They are what make these old house so unique.

I love to collect doors, windows and other pieces of these old ladies.

From the inside looking out

Details that I just love...

As much as I love to paint white

there is just something about

chippy, vintage white

Especially, with a touch of pink added

The vintage white spandrel

between our family room and kitchen

My downstairs powder room door

Drop on by Faded Charm to see more wonderful white.

Thanks, Kathleen!

we have a plan...

Operation C.H.A.O.S.

progress report

I have a plan and I've begun that plan.

That is progress.

Big progress

My husband calls it:
analysis to paralysis

I'm not quite creative enough just to let go

but

each detail must be:

thought over

talked over

and

anguished over...

from every angle

to make sure it will work and it is what I want.

That really slows me down.

So this is the plan so far:

My inspiration room will be in the boys' old bedroom.

I wish it were still filled with boys

but it is not.

So, what's a Mom to do?

I debated over this because it is an upstairs bedroom
and I didn't want to seperate myself from the family too much.
The main advantage was that it had the most room
so the most potential for clearing up the rest of the house.

I've had 4 days to myself this week.

Time to attack.

That first day I woke up at 2:00 (yes, a.m.)
...gotta love those 40's hormones...

I was so excited to get started!

It's slow going...it's still hard to sort through everything

and find a place for it.

And I so struggle with function over beauty.

I really do just want to decorate.

I'll be back in a few days with another report:)

sweet dreams...

of

White Wednesday

glimpses of my bedroom

I love my iron bed...

It was a Christmas present from my husband.

Can you tell?

I've been on picnik again.

I can't decide which photo I like the best.

My linens are all off-white.

Always Kiss Me Goodnight

vintage wedding shoes

I've had this bowl and pitcher for a long time.

I once traded a primitive cupboard for it.

I love it!

My chandy is white, too.

It also was a surprise-gift from my husband...

he even painted it for me.

This is where I dream...

Thanks again to Kathleen

at Faded Charm

for hosting this very fun party.

baby love...

It's been about a month now since

I've had my grand-ma-ma bragging post.

It's about time for another one, don'tcha think?

We babysat the triplets and Brogan the other night.

It only took 4 of us to get the job done!







Busy, busy, busy.

I can only imagine life next year

for *mommy and daddy*.

Have I ever mentioned here

How amazed and proud I am of these two?

They are doing a fantastic job.

They have a

schedule and order

that makes me look like a push-over.

~

~

~

And then there is Brogan.
He is happy and energetic
And lots of fun.

He thinks Grandpa is the best!

And he's going to be a big brother come January.

It's both a

weird and wonderful thing

to watch your kids

become mommies and daddies.
~

~

~

And finally,

The fishing trip with Grandpa.

You can see it was way successful.

In more ways than one.

Fish, candy, and lotsof good laughs.


I'm just full of Baby love.

beauty...

Never lose an opportunity of seeing

anything that is beautiful,

for beauty is God's handwriting, a wayside sacrament.

Welcome it

in every fair face,

in every fair sky,

in every flower,

and thank God for it

as a cup of blessing.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

beau·ty -\ˈbyü-tē\ noun 1: the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit .

Synonyms: loveliness, pulchritude, comeliness, fairness, attractiveness.
Antonyms: ugliness.

One thing I ask of the Lord,

this is what I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

and to see him in his temple.

Psalm 27:4

white wednesday...

This week I thought

I would show you

my second favorite piece

that I have painted.

My piano:

This one was easy.

Isn't she grand?

But, not always so.

I found her at the music store;

they had *rescued* her from a local public school.

It had "T loves J" and the likes carved into her.

She has the most amazing

carving and details.

But what I love best of all

is the sweet music that she brings to our home.

( I don't play but my girls do.)

Check out all of the other white goodness

at Faded Charm.

5 years ago...

I posted this a year ago~it is still so true

so

I'm going to post it again.

A way to bring honor to my God

and

a way to bring honor to my loss.

I know there is debate out there in blogland

over whether to only share the *pretty*.

But not everyone is always in the *pretty*

Real life happens.

~

July 29, 2008

~

Today marks the day

that day 5 years ago

when

I began the path

into the darkest, loneliest valley

I've ever known.

It would be a test of my faith,

a test of true submission,

a life-changing time.

My heart was broken completely;

the loss and emptiness indescribable.

Thing after thing was taken from me.

The details don't really matter;
but what does matter is what I've learned.

I've learned that:

1. Grief is a very hard work-

a very physically demanding work.

(I never would have expected it to be so physical)

It has a timetable of its own-

God brings healing when He brings it.


Thank you to all of you who were so patient with me.

2. To question, to be angry, to struggle

is not to be a failure as a Christian

but is rather an opportunity

to really understand

GRACE.

I'm still here because God
hung onto me during the storm.


Cling as I might
it could never be enough.

3. That I don't always understand the mercy of God -
Why he gives a "yes" answer to one prayer
and then a "no" answer to the next one.

And that it is

OK

that I don't understand.

4. That God is good.

Not because he does good things

but

because He IS good.

5. That He will use this for good.

Hard as it is, maybe, just maybe,
I can encourage someone else.

6. That joy does come in the morning.

That eventually there is healing.

That I can finally talk about it and sing about it.

So dear Kate, take heart, it will get easier.

But you will never forget.

My heart will never be the same.

But may it be softer, more full of grace, love and mercy.

Just like the Father's.

Praise the LORD, all my soul;

all my inmost being, praise His holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits-

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your disease,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103

I really didn't want to do this post

but this battle has been such a part of me.

It has shaped who I've become.

Miss Gracie's was conceived during this time

as an outlet-

a chance to make something beautiful with my hands.

Have a great day,

Rene'