Daily

Some of the 138 pictures I took today. Beauty was always in our home growing up. My mother decided she would teach her children to live among pretty things, delicate things, priceless things. She did some child-proofing. She didn't expect unrealistic things. She just wasn't going to live without joy, comfort and beauty simply because children were in her home.
Every day something was fluffed or moved or added or subtracted, angled just so. Very rarely were our furnishings or linens or accessories from the current decade, never trendy, never modern.
They were each unique, sought with love, set about with fervor and delight.
Even coffee was an event. I remember the "Aha!, the OOH, the Oh, Look at that" when a new decorator magazine would appear in the mail. The world would stop for a few minutes and we would all look at what had mom so excited. I was born and bred and raised and trained like a musical prodigy to love, to look, to buy, to decorate, to live in beauty every day. There really is no substitute. And in blog land, I have found sisters to my soul. I have found people living not just with aesthetic beauty each day, but people discovering the joy learning what is beautiful to them.

Fred and Ginger live here

She's quirky, she's small, she has a sweet letter and a tiny rose, she's dusty and squattie, she has her little hat just so. She is an inch and a half tall and almost the same around. She's stout, this little bell hop. I walk by her at my mom's house every time I make coffee and this little bit of ceramic what not practically blows me kisses and whispers how sweet life is. I love her. I love that my mom loves her. Today I took pictures all over my mom's house while we gossiped and talked. Mostly we cackled like big fat geese. We laugh long, deep and hard as often as possible, mostly at ourselves and the craziness that is living. Today's morning topic was spectacular. Apparently my dad went and took a dancing lesson yesterday evening at the Moose Lodge. Ballroom dancing. His partner was a tiny wrinkly lady who wore tap shoes. He wore sneakers. My mother was furious! They have been married for forty-eight years (I'll have to check for sure) and for the first ten fought over going dancing on Friday nights. Every year mom dresses up for the company party and they attend, but never dance. Dad is a great dancer, mom fantastic. But he's quiet and shy and reserved and busy and it's not all that fun to dance in front of other people. So he took a lesson to see if he might like to learn and attend classes with her. He was previewing it alone and didn't tell her, he didn't want her to know, because then she would WANT to go and he would be stuck if he didn't like it. There were words. There was language, but mostly there was laughter and surprise. I nearly spit my coffee into the next room as I was getting the play by play. I love it that my dad wants to try something new, that he's testing new waters, that he thought of dancing, that he went alone, Mr. Shy-pants. I think it is grand and romantic and bold and youthful and I love that he did it his way. They are going next week, mom said she won't wear tap shoes, though.

Hacked by Lauren =]

I'm Lauren, Stephanie's daughter. I'm sure you all have heard a lot about me. I'm the troublemaker of the family. We had just eaten a gourmet dinner, a frozen pepperoni pizza. One of my moms finest. I was asked to do the dishes, but told them "No, because I have a blog to do." I've been banned from Myspace (by my mother). - I do occasionally sneak on it. Actually you couldn't say I sneak on it, I've been caught almost every time. Ha. So this weekend I was sick. I thought I was going to die. I woke up this morning to my mom yelling at me down the stairs asking me if I want a smoothie. I came up to make something else. My mom was fascinated with her smoothie. She slurped, gargled, gulped, and chugged it. - Just to annoy me. I love these kind of moments with my mom. She makes me laugh, usually to the point where I am snorting, coughing, and gasping for air. She works for my grandpa, ( her dad ) during the week, and I am home schooled so I am with her everyday. My mom works in my grandpas office, it's also his house. My grandma is there with us everyday too (in the house part). When you get the three of us together, it's usually non stop jokes and laughter. My mom works with my grandpa's assistant, she's funny too. I don't think she gets to be this loud or as funny if she isn't with us. My mom and I had left the office for a while the other day, and came back. We asked Debbie ( my grandpas assistant ) if she missed us, and she says "Yeah, it was too quiet in here!" I love being with my mom and grandma. We always get to be loud - and proud. They can get kind of embarrassing though. My grandma lost her underwear at my fifth grade bowling field trip. She had the underwear stuck in her leg of the pants from the night before and went to cross her legs, and out comes a pair of underwear. RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE TEACHER. But, I can't make too much fun of it. I too, have lost a pair of underwear in public. I usually try on an outfit the night before school, and shower after finding the outfit. I had a really cute outfit. White Capri's, blue shirt, white tank top, and blue flip flops. (It wasn't so cute after this.) Anyways, I put the outfit back on the next morning and was ready to go to school. I started walking up the sidewalk of the school and noticed something around my feet. Yes. It was my underwear from the night before. I was so shocked and embarrassed. I kept walking, hoping no one had just witnessed that tragic moment. I was so blown away by it. I kept telling myself they weren't my underwear. I was in total denial for 8 hours. I couldn't wait to come home and check the bathroom floor. The minute I got home, I ran up the stairs to the bathroom, and there were no underwear. I laughed SO hard. I came downstairs to my mom and aunt. I couldn't stop laughing for a second. I started to tell them what happened. I snorted a few times. It was a priceless story though. ( It's only happened once. And no, it won't be the last. ) My grandma and I were on our way to Dillard's the other day and she says to me "There is something bulging in the crotch of my pants." I told her to check it out. (this just proves that it won't be the last time i lose my underwear in public. ) And so She did, Guess what it was. Her underwear from the night before. Ha, yeah. If she hadn't have noticed it she would have lost them somewhere in Dillard's. - I would have walked away from her and pretended like I had never met her in my life. My mom has had her hilarious moments too. We went to Wal-mart looking for a birthday gift for my boyfriend, Aaron. My mom is addicted to Knitting like it was an illegal drug. She knitted a scarf that had long white fringe at the end. It looked like a horses tail. We got our cart and proceeded to the jewelry section. My mom put her jacket and scarf over the handle bars of the cart, and as she was walking, the fringe of the scarf got between her legs, sticking out of her rear-end. My mom is beautiful and thin. She told me she thought the fat on her thighs were rubbing together. - That was my favorite part about it all.
I don't have a clue what I would do without these moments.

- Welcome to my life. =]

Lauren

Little things that matter

I cleaned in the attic today.. all day. I walked by my bulletin board a million times sorting fabric, sorting donations, organizing shelves.
My bulletin board is covered with pictures, fabric, ribbon, magazine clippings and odds and ends that don't really belong anywhere, but that I can't resist looking at.
Below it is an antique metal trundle bed that I have piled with pillows, but mostly serves as a catch-all for stuff I need to fold, iron or put away.
I got to look at it all in great detail today as I sorted. It's like my constantly evolving scrapbook.
This is KiKi. He was NO HELP at all. We played with all the socks that didn't have mates. He likes them warm from the dryer the VERY BEST!

The things I get at garage sales

This is Tipsy, my pet sit pup on the Sacred Pillow wearing a sweater I knitted for her.
This is Gidget, my D.O.G. (when my mom was a girl she had a dog named DEE -O-GEE, dog). She will NOT wear a sweater willingly.
The girls like to play king of the hill on the stairs. The prize is the landing. Gidget is not happy. The landing is where she sits to play catch with my husband.. Tipsy is violating some sort of dog law.

When Tipsy's people travel, she and her pillow and blankie and her treat bag come stay with us. Her people work for Village Tours and drive the buses and host the tours. I met her owner at a garage sale, you may see a pattern taking place here.. I NEVER can bring myself to shop retail, it's an issue (except maybe that I did pay full and unreasonable price for Gidget). Anyway, they were on a walk and stopped to shop. I love animals and Tipsy was no exception. My comment about her cuteness led Cindy to confiding she really needed to find a home for her. She had tried before, but couldn't part with her, had given her to a family and then had taken her back after a poor fit with their kids. Cindy and couldn't stand to kennel her, suddenly I was offering to pet sit. My mother-in-law pet sits in FLA. and loves it. I thought my dog would enjoy company and having a play mate. Tipsy was not immediately sold on us as we were on her. It took time for her to settle in to the chaos of my home which was already inhabited by my bossy Schnauzer, a fat cat, a gheko, and occassionally my sister's pair of Sugar Gliders. We are now her second home and she has found her place and claimed her spot on the couch. In Kansas it's darn cold. Everytime Tipsy comes over, I find I am knitting or crocheting or sewing her a new sweater or coat. It's OK to make fun, just don't tell me you did! I still haven't asked how Tipsy got her name.. funny that I just realized that!

Red-eye

Exciting magazine, fabulous blogs, beautiful art, talented writers, fantastic photography. DEDICATION, DEDICATION, DEDICATION. Of course, I must thank Jackie Clark for loaning me this publication.. I dropped as many things off my To Do List as I could get away with to RUSH over and take up her offer to show me the exciting artists featured in this magazine.

I am considering taking out a second mortgage on the house so I can quit working and just create and blog all day, and so I can afford to subscribe to this publication. I give no thought to paying on the 2nd mortgage, way to mundane after all the yummie I have seen today. For inspiration, look no further.

Horse-n-Around

This is my fireplace. We've lived in this house four years and I have refurnished and redecorated this room about every six months since the day we got the keys. It is currently furnished with my furniture from a previous home and vast quantities of hand-me-downs from my mother's home. She sold her 5-bderoom home and down-sized. I took in as many orphans as my walls and garage could handle.
On a trip to K.C. two years ago, Mom saw a painting of a horse she fell in love with. She hated the price tag, though and asked me to paint one like it. I looked at the painting for 5 minutes.. we were on a schedule. When we returned, I found a perfectly square canvas that was framed nicely, but had cheap, cheap art painted on it. Six dollars. Perfect. Exactly what we wanted to spend. Thus my horsey sprang to life on a re-purposed Goodwill canvas.

I knew when I painted him that someday he would come home to see me.. Thank goodness I used colors that would work for me! He is fireplace makeover #7. She threw in the green chair and red blanket and pillow at no extra charge. I just had to load it myself. I love a cheap thrill.

Easter Basket

If I were the Easter Bunny I'm not sure I could fill baskets with eggs and candy.
All the baskets I own are filled with fabric, paper, ribbon and thread. I'm going to leave my basket out anyway..
and hope the Easter Bunny knows I have eggs in the fridge.

Heirloom

This charm was among the jewelry pieces in the jewelry box that my Aunt selected from my Grandmother's belongings to give to me. I can't picture my Grandmother owning this. I know that I never saw her wear it. I don't know how she would have come to own it, it seems so unlike her style. I believe it was a gift from someone special to her. Many of the things in her jewelry box were gifts, some though you could tell she had found on accident and just didn't know what to do with. She never threw away anything that could be re-used or enjoyed by someone else if she could help it. There were about a dozen post earrings, just kid's costume jewelry that looked as though they had been set down by a friend, loved one or grandchild and when she found them, couldn't risk losing them.. she tied them together with string and they sat in her drawer waiting until the time when she might see the owner and could return them.
This was by far the most unusual, the most surprising in the bunch. It is two and a half inches long and two inches wide, not petite by any means. Each side of what looks like ivory colored shell are pairs of hand painted birds in vibrant blues, golds, reds with filigree shapes. It is surrounded by a rope of sterling and has a very thin and simple sterling loop. It is hand made in every respect and I find it fascinating! It was in GG's box with other trinkets and costume pieces. I couldn't wait to wear it, so I strung beads to create a two tier chain. It's loud, it's memorable, it makes me feel artistic and creative and flamboyant. I have worn it a dozen times since I received it. I am anxious to learn more about it, where it came from and how it came to be in GG's jewelry box.
I love when you learn something about someone you never would have guessed. I can hear her voice, seeing her carefully tie earring backings together, anticipating her next visit with their owner. Looking through the compartments, I see her as those who gave her those pieces saw her, each in a unique way. I love to be surprised at what I didn't know!

My Space

A few weeks ago I was side tracked by a few hankies. Cleaning my work space to accommodate a dozen new swatches of cute was a necessity. I had torn things up to decorate the window at Twist. So in my cleaning frenzy, I decided to paint the walls in the adjoining room that I had been using as storage. It's a finished attic room with a skylight that sits over our garage. Formerly occupied by my daughter, it was painted ORANGE. There were boxes, totes, piles, stacks and rejects from all over the house haunting this great space. I had big dreams for this room when we bought this house. Now that everyone else has used and abused it, I get to clean it and redecorate it. I have been all over this house with my creative space, trying to carve out a place that is mine. This is my last move. I am excited about repainting and re carpeting this sweet room. I love it that no one else will bother with it. It has the best light of all of the rooms in our home. It's a diamond in the rough. Now that I am feeling better and after a long absence from decorating, I get to enjoy my hobbies again. I feel so rejuvenated, so alive, so grateful, so blessed. I have been beat up and bruised like this little room, but my little light keeps shining, just like the sunshine that seeps in through the skylight. I can't wait to start living again. Thank you to everyone who has put up with me along this journey and who will still claim me as friend or family. I have not been a pretty picture, sometimes a bad example.
I have much to be thankful for. I am most thankful to those I have been working with this past year who have reached out to me with encouragement and acceptance, know how important you are, how much you are appreciated. I feel like I needed the makeover on the inside and they stood by me through the uglies.