Breaking Free

Do you ever want to break free from the "same old same old" thing you've been doing? Sometimes I just want change. My daily routine is getting so boring! Maybe it's Spring fever, or maybe it's because I'm just plain ready to try new things. Some of my routine is unavoidable - there are kids to pick up and drop off. Kids' activities to attend; their routines will not change.

I've taken steps to make small changes in my life: my art is changing, my home decor is changing, and I've changed my exercise routine in the morning. (My husband and I started a new exercise regimine together. It is so unfair that men can shed pounds so much more quickly than women and, that a 5 foot tall woman has to work so hard to shed a couple of pounds! ...oops, I digress - so sorry!)

Besides these little steps, my life-long goal is to get deeper in my walk with God, develop deeper relationships with friends and family, and continue to grow and learn new things and not let my daily routine make me walk around as if I'm sleepwalking through life!

I painted the above titled "Breaking Free" to express my desire for these things above. How about you, do you feel like breaking free sometimes?

Freshening Up Cont’d – My Slipcovers

A couple of weeks ago I showed you some of the things I did to freshen up my home. (You can click here to see that post.) Here’s what I worked on last week. This is a little makeover I did to my chairs. Here is a before picture of one of the chairs:

Here are the chairs after I made some slipcovers out of white cotton duck fabric:

I had the silk check pillows in my basement. They were a European sham style that I made many years ago, but my children and husband thought they needed to be used in a pillow fight. Of course they ripped right in the seam. I cut off the edge, and sewed the sides back together. This whole project cost me $30, but what a difference these slipcovers make to the room!

Here is the other side of this room (our library):

Thanks for viewing my little makeover. Now, go on to Between Naps on the Porch to see some awesome before and afters!

My Daughter’s Dream Room

My youngest daughter, almost 6 years old, loves to stare at these photos. I took them at last year’s Parade of Homes.

This is a cute cafe bedroom/playroom. (My daughter wants to become a chef when she grows up. She loves Giada DeLaurentis!)

Look at the bunk bed, and the little store underneath!

The Closet:

Below is the bathroom. I think it’s pretty, a bit more sophisticated than the actual room, but definitely something a tween or a teen may like:

Well, that’s it for this week. Are these weeks going faster and faster for you? It seems everything is happening this last month of school. I’m ready for a vacation!

Have a great weekend everyone!

April Showers…?

My tulips are buried right now due to a snowstorm we had this last weekend. This is a photo right before the burial. You can’t see them anymore. :(

I ran out to cut a few tulips.I took several photos since I’m sure this year’s tulips are gone with over a foot of snow piled on top of them.

Other versions of these tulips with some digital artistry:

By the way, I finally downloaded Windows Live Writer. Thanks Maria at Colour Me Happy for suggesting it to your readers! If you don’t have Writer, you really should look into it. It’s free and it makes blogging so much easier!

The Touch

I just listed on my Etsy site. Click here to view. Have a great weekend everyone!

Slifer Designs

I've mentioned many times of going to the Vail/Beaver Creek area to go skiing and spending time outdoors with my family and friends. One of the other things I enjoy doing is looking at the architecture and interior design up there.

One design firm I have become acquainted with in style is Slifer Designs. It is one of the premier interior design firms in the Vail/Beaver Creek area. I first became familiar with their work after staying in a home designed by the firm. Slifer is a full service interior design firm specializing in luxury resort design. Interior Design magazine has consistently named Slifer as one of the top three residential interior design firms. I often see their name mentioned in the various interior magazines I pick up while in the mountains.

Below are 2 of my favorite images of a home the company designed.



Below is the home we stay in when we go to the Vail/Beaver Creek area:

A fun rustic chandelier in the breakfast area:

Slifer has a retail store in Edwards, Colorado. I love to visit every time we are in the area. The vignettes change weekly. Below are several different mountain styles.

I love this bedroom below. The style is considered "Mountain Chateau". The rustic juxtaposed with the elegant is what does it for me! Look at the chandelier - a modern twist on a traditional crystal.

A close up of the chandelier:

Below is "Mountain Lodge" style:

A "Mountain Traditional" :

Below is "Mountain Contemporary":

To view more beautiful mountain designs, click here.

Happy Easter

He is Risen! Happy Easter everyone!

Peony No.3

I'm waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the flowers to bloom around here! "Peony No.3" is a 6x6" acrylic painting now in my etsy shop. Click here to view.

Freshening Up

Look, my Cherry blossom from my previous post has started to bloom! In preparation for Spring, I have been busy freshening things up around here. I have been busy sewing, painting, and re-accessorizing. I needed a change from my heavy drapes and my Winter decor. Here is my Winter fireplace mantle and built ins:

Here is my new Spring mantle and built-ins. I spent very little money. I just re-used items I had in different parts of the house, with the exception of the painting which I painted recently and posted about a few days ago. I'm planning on making some new pillows. I would love to make new slipcovers as well, time permitting.

Here are my heavy Winter drapes:

Here are my Spring/Summer curtains. They are unlined muslin I had in my basement. See my Cherry branch near the window?

Below are the Winter velvet drapes in the library:

Now, my Summer unlined linen curtains. Notice my new Ampersand pillow I purchased from Ness?

My dining room Winter drapes:
My new unlined linen:
And, a little whimsical addition in the dining room to keep things from being stuffy. My chalkboard I made out of MDF and chalkboard paint. We've been trying to use the dining room once a week. The kids love to write the menu on it! (I wrote this one, though!)

Soon, I will show you my bedroom pseudo make-over. I hope you all are having fun springing things up in your home!

To see some more transformations, go to Between Naps on the Porch. I love to see before and afters!

Breathe

About 9 months ago, my 7 year old had heart surgery for a condition we knew about at birth. As far as heart conditions go, his condition was not a major one. But, the anxiety when his heart went into a rhythm of 200-300 beats per minute would send me into a ton of "what ifs" in my mind. He had been hospitalized twice, including having paddles used on him to restart his heart because medications were not working. We were looking forward to his surgery and dreading it at the same time.

We wanted this surgery, because we did not want him to deal with the condition any longer. The medications he had been taking since he was in my womb did not work very well for him. We felt like it also "fogged" his mind and it affected his motor skills and speech, not to mention the pain he went through when his heart beat twice as fast as it was supposed to.

At the same time, the "what ifs" would creep through my mind. Why risk the complications if it was not absolutely necessary? We knew the right thing, though was to get it done and over with. Give it to God, and let Him handle it.

There were so many hurdles we went through getting the surgery scheduled, but after prayers, each hurdle was resolved miraculously. Through all the logistics of scheduling the surgery, sudden insurance changes, and switch of doctors, my friend Laura kept telling me to "Breathe".

You see, Laura was not a stranger to tragedy. She herself lost a baby shortly after she was born due to a rare condition called Alobar Holoprocencephaly. She and her husband found out about the condition after the 20 week ultrasound. They knew the outcome of what was to happen to the baby, but they chose to carry the baby full term because they desperately wanted to meet their baby and hold her for the few hours they had.

Last year, she started a non-profit helping others going through the same trauma. I figured if someone who had gone through that type of agony, and get through it and tell others to "breathe", then I could "breathe". I did have a peace about the outcome of my son's surgery. A peace that surpassed all understanding, actually. The peace of God.

My son's surgery went very well. The doctors say if the condition stays away for a year, then it is most likely gone. The change in my son is so apparent. His motor skills have improved, his "brain fog" is no longer there, and his speech is getting better. Even a couple of weeks after the surgery, he actually caught his first baseball during his little league baseball game. We are so, so thankful.

My friend Laura continues to help others with mental and logistical support. All this while going through the nightmare all over again each time she comforts a family who will lose a baby. I'm sure she has to tell herself to just "breathe" every time. To read her story, click here. It will bring tears to your eyes.