Long Holiday weekends are the BEST!

Holiday weekends are the BEST!!
No?

Foyer. Vintage wash stand with wash basin and pitcher.
Inherited Banjo clock. Mirror( we made) , ironstone tureen w/ pine cones and a small lamp.

You get to sleep in...

and laze about, well some.

A little bit.
But, for some reason, on long weekends

my creative brain goes into over drive.

OVERDRIVE!!!!

Yes, ask the Mr. He'll tell you.

My take on paper flowers.

WE get up, nice and slow after a nice lie in.
Feeling relaxed and refreshed.
Linger over the first cup of coffee after feeding and walking Master Vic.

Just lazy...

Then I make breakfast, more like brunch by then :-)

I offer him whatever his little heart desires.....

True, I fix it.

We eat . Savouring the quiet, the idea of nothing demanding our time.

It is Saturday after all.
The glorious weekend!!!!

Some one had to get in the picture...

He goes in the garage to putter, me to do the same about the house. Somewhere between the putting of loads in the washer, vacuuming and dusting  (to loud music)

Tweaking the things as I dust.....

I get an idea.

A little one... 

a cute idea.

Recliners are identical, not sure why one photographed darker.

I bounce  into the garage. Innocently...
Yes, me. Innocent. With BIG brown eyes and a sweet smile.

Him, not knowing what's about to unleash,smiles back as he turns his vacuum off. Saving the lives of a few leaves temporarily.

I say: Honey, do you have any wood? Wood that is all chewed up and rough? Old looking wood?

He laughs. Realization dawning. What are you designing ?
He's so good to me!!
Too good ...

I stated my plan.

I am still smiling... bigger now as I see his brain working.

My plans include some hand movements, this way and that.
Some finger wiggling....
Hand movements up and down....

His eyebrows quirk.

He follows. He shakes his head.

I am grinning like the cat who got the last bit of cream.

I come back inside, by way of the  laundry room....

Back to my tweaking and planning.

Does the decorating brain ever turn off?

If it did I would be in trouble. Truly I would.

Even when I was in the Hospital last summer I was redecorating the rooms. I mean... that shade of beige?? No, that is insulting to beige. A pinky... bilious kinda colour. But I do digress...


As I work away.. 

(actually pausing a little  lot to read Blogs and Facebook.)
Tidying and cleaning   playing on my laptop

I hear noise. Movement. Sawing.

Be still my heart!!

More sawing... the noises that comes with creativity happening in the garage.


I peek.... Wood... old, beat up wood.

Being cut, measured.

YES!!!! I venture out.
We talk.. smiles, head nodding.
We are so funny...

We are both dressed in jeans. Ripped and faded jeans. You know the kind of Hollister  fame?

He in a very nice thermal styled long sleeved tee. Now covered in saw dust. But happy.

Me, pretty much the identical jeans ( girl fit of course) and a leopard print top. NO sawdust on this girl. Just happy.

Hair in a tidy ponytail. Him, blonde hair  askew with a sawdust topping, dust mask propped on head..... triumphant.

A little later, I get my piece. He's done with it. Now it's my turn to play.

I am thinking... old barn wood. Weathered grey...

I mix.... I blend... I apply the watered down paint mixture.

That greedy wood sucks it all up. I apply more.

Look.. Chocolate Lab, chocolate couch, chocolate ottoman. :-)

Then the hard part. Waiting for paint to dry.
tap... tap...
Coffee...
Chocolate...
Conversation with the neighbour.
More waiting.
Planning, prepping and making dinner for 4.
Serving and eating...
We are a very food oriented family :-)

Then I style....
Restyle... Tweak.
Aha!!! Bingo. Perfect!
I luv it.
Perfectly weathered.... rustic.

What do you think?
It's got cracks in the wood, bits missing.
Imperfections...

The paint technique came out the perfect shade of grey I wanted.
I am a Happy Camper!That was my Saturday... Hmmm.. what to so for the next 2 days.
**finger tapping on cheek.**

...Ideas...

  Cheers, Gee
PS.... we relaxed . NO more projects. Just enjoyed the weekend of perfect weather.

 Mid winter, N.C.F. Style.


savvysouthernstyle.net

A day of ponder... and the Sunroom.

You know those days, those days when you mull about something in your mind all day?

Made this a few years ago.. luv the old door knob. Sits on a table with a French style clock as the top.

You are so consumed by this one thing.... 

this thought, this project.
You solve and re solve it in your mind.... all day!

You eat breakfast with the guy's, but you are only partially there.
Do you have those days??


You brush your teeth on rote.....
Paying no attention to the mundane daily task.

Luv these rusted Urns. They had Christmas trees in them a few weeks ago... now on the coffee table in the sun room.

A beautiful day is unfolding in front of you and , well, you barely take notice.


Yes,
Yesterday I had one of those days.
What made it even worse, was that I also had a migraine as well.
So that was a double doozy.

But it was Sunday... the 2nd Sunday of the month. That meant a BIG family dinner and guests.

No worries. I am woman... I can multitask.
I can function with a part of me focused.
Right?? 

My assistant. Master Vic. He will be 3 in May :-) He thinks it's his sun room. Shhhh,,,, I think he's happy the Christmas decor is down.

We can do that.. we are women, wife, mother. All at the same time.
All day long!
Right?


I made a wonderful Roast Sunday dinner.

Roast beef, roasted potatoes, gravy, glazed carrots and a smashing Yorkshire pudding!
May I repeat... a smashing Pud!

Isn't she cute? She hangs on the brass drapery rod just inside the sun room doorway.

Made lemonade, grapefruitade, and sweet tea. ( remember, I had a migraine) No wine :-/
I squeezed, juiced  and brewed with the best of them!


Time came to lay the table and serve up this meal.
(This meal that I had made, all alone, while still solving and pondering.)

I had help with the setting of a luvly table with inherited china , vintage glasses and pretty  napkins.

dining are in sun room. Sun room devoid of Christmas and decorated in greens, reds, and tan. Look at the sweet cardinals on the painting.

I go to the 'fridge for the salad course, and ..... crickets!!!!

People are at the ready, and there was NONE!
I , in my half here state of pondering my all consuming project had forgotten to make one.

Opps?!

Luckily, my guest of honour, Bella, at 4years old couldn't care less about the salad.

(Should I mention that in my perusal of the 'fridge realized that my medicated and preoccupied brain made no dessert either.)
Hahahahahaha. No, not at all funny! This is a Sunday dinner mind... All bases covered. Usually...

This birdhouse was given to my son 23 years ago. It was  almost 100 years old then. It had ceramic Victorian food and water dishes. Adorable all rusty and chippy... perfect!

Can we say 'Oh my' with hands on cheeks here...
...hands on red flaming cheeks.

I grinned and well, we dove into the main.
Now in my defense, the beef was mouthwateringly tender and delicious.  The potatoes were  things of beauty. Golden and crisp. With the perfect amount of herbs.... 

The carrots were YUM! Glazed in orange juice , brown sugar and ginger... mmmmmmm!!!
The Yorkshire pud! What a beauty!
The drinks were perfectly sweet and tart as Florida citrus should be. The tea was great!!

I luv this inherited vintage desk. Not sure of the exact age... But it is topped with another fave. My copy of Uncle Remus. Bought at a antiques Market years ago. Circa 1939.  And yes, a phone :-) Gotta have them.

No one missed the salad I am sure... only me. I was beside myself.
I had to get in the minute. So I smiled, and we had a wonderful meal.
I was able to engage in titillating conversations and no one noticed I was mulling away in my mind.

Inherited dining table and chairs. Passed down to us from our Beloved Carole and Bill. Black and chippy... What's not to luv?

Dinner went well.
Miss Bella had to be taken home and put to bed....

Kitchen was cleaned by the lads ( they are wonderful like that)
No, really... I cook and they clean like mad men!

We , the Mr and I settled in with coffee to watch Downton Abbey, and I kept on with my pondering...

Took it to bed with me. Any one else do this??

Had dreams about it!!! I mean... hello... save me here! Can we solve this already?

Then comes morning....
Foggy, cool . Beautiful!!

I am up... migraine. Geez!!

Every one leaves.... I get coffee, meds, and sleep. I get an hour of blissfully medicated BLACK sleep.

Then I awake... refreshed! Clear!

No humming in my head... no pondering and solving!
Gone.

Just like that. Gone!

I grab the unfinished canvas... 

Chose my paints and brushes.

Exit stage left to the sun room.
BLAST some Foo Fighters and Metallica...

and I work.
And work..
(Even got in a workout , and vacuumed and dusted while paint dried)
My hands sped.... a life all their own.
They knew it was solved before I did.
Clarity.

Done!

Smile...
Yeah, have you ever had a day like that?

ohmygosh!!

But it's done :-)

Hugs, Gee




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