Wall (& body) Art

The rain is falling, the twins are slumbering, the three eldest little ones are grandma's for their weekly 'fun day', bread is made, and the wash isn't done, music playing on the computer (listening to my dearest friend, Jen's, play list on her blog. we have a similar multi-generation genre taste in music) and well, I've decided to update my little online cottage 'cause I can!

Speaking of Jen, she has been my treasured friend since, well, forever. She and her little girl came up yesterday morning for a little visit. She never has to, but she always brings me a little treasure or two. Among the many things we both appreciate, Christmas Tree Shops is one of them. If you have never been to one, but like to decorate, throw parties, eat, sleep, breath, have a budget of any sort---DON'T GO!!!! Even though everything seems to have breath-takingly cheap prices pasted on simply charming things, it's a little dangerous because you think "Oh, only .99 for this cute little thing?" about 200 times as you peruse the store.

She brought me this little lantern from 'our store' and it fit right into my 'beach away from the beach' porch.

I do not consider our home a 'show piece'.

It is the last thing I would want to make it even if I could.

It's just a roof with walls that we've been given to live in for however long, and while I'm here, I enjoy making it our home...a place that is 'us', for 'us' and the friends that God brings into our lives to walk alongside for however long...

I enjoy the new 'vinyl wall art' that has come out in the last years.

It is easier than easy to zip up, hard to mess up and fun to add dimensional pieces with it (like the star fish I found at Christmas Tree Shops for .99 for 6. No, they are not paying me to promote. But I am open for an offer if they'd care to make one!).

I cleaned and rearranged my desk area with stuff I had AND a darling little hanging lamp that i went back and bought from my friend's stash of stuff that didn't sell at her moving sale last weekend.

I called my handyman, and asked him 'hypothetically': "If a person were to remove the sanding tool you have attached to your Ryobi drill, how would they go about doing it?". He, with great fear and trepidation in his voice, walked me through it over the phone. At the end, after a nervous chuckle and no questioning of what on earth I was about to do, he said "This conversation never happened" and hung up.

I had no idea how to hang this lamp, but I wanted it hung. Today. While there was relative quiet in the home. So I drilled in a screw, hot glued a Popsicle stick on top of it, wrapped it in cute ribbon and secured the cord with a matching bow. Bob Villa might cringe, and Martha might wince, but it's up and I'm happy! (and no one knows but me and anyone who reads this blog!)

Treasured little tags from gifts given by treasured friends.

Wall art + five 5x7's of the children living life + 5 distressed white frames from Christmas Tree Shops for 2.99 each = a very inexpensive, but personal way to fill a vast empty space. The wall is not nearly as 'yellow' as it appears, but that is what happens when no flash is involved.

I saved the best for last.

Body art. Carefully applied during quiet time, by the 'responsible' one of the crew. The mischievous ones of the group were sleeping, and the mama who took just a few moments to peruse the Internet, had nary a suspicion that she was no longer scribbling on her coloring book, but rather on herself and her little brother (the one she tells everyone is her 'favorite one').



He seems rather pleased. So was she. My laughter diminished any effective discipline, so we had a little heart to heart that involved the phrase 'paper only' many times.




This is the stuff that makes an old (or new!) house a home.


Thank you for visiting, friend.
Be warm, be at peace and know you are Loved!