Differences Make the World Go Round

By now you pretty much know what my eye is drawn toward. 

It should be fairly easy to determine which set of dishes I would choose. 

Did you pick the top left?  The square plain white ones? 

One of my besties would snap up the bottom right. 

Gee, I wonder which one Mo would choose?

 Yup, the one on the left.  It's in my office/crafty room as matter of fact. 

If you guessed the one on the right for me and the one on the left for her, you'd be spot on. 

Pretty much when we buy things for each other we know to select the opposite of what our natural eye is drawn toward. 

Winner, winner. . .chicken dinner! 

How about you?  Do you and your bestie or besties have opposite tastes? 

I'm glad we do as it makes life interesting and keeps a fresh perspective on the world. 

It could become mundane if we liked the exact same things. 

Peace, Love, Laughter, and Soul Y'all. 

Vacation Art

I needed to paint a canvas for one of the walls in the guest bedroom. 

Started with charcoal, then moved on to rain grey, added metallic silver, brushed some more charcoal and called it good for the background. 

 I put some charcoal on a chai tea latte can lid and pressed it to the canvas.

Drizzled some sand on the corner. 

And down the left side of the canvas.   

 Bittersweet orange added to the lid and pressed to the canvas. 

Drizzled some more sand down the side. 

Grabbed a can of kitty food for the smaller circle in sand.  Pressed to the canvas. 

Grabbed the bottom of the chai tea latte can, added bittersweet orange, and pressed it to the canvas.  

I kept wanting to add white feathers to the canvas but finally decided against it.  

In keeping with the circle theme, I added a computer fan part to the canvas and decided this piece was done. 

If you stay in the guest bedroom and pay attention to small details, you'll notice this computer fan part matches the coaster I made on the nightstand. 

The newly decorated guest bedroom post will soon follow.  It will then make sense as to why this color combination was chosen for the canvas. 

Peace, Love, Laughter, and Soul Y'all.  

Recycle Craftiness in da Hizzle

One day I was walking through the office and saw a sign letting me know free computer parts for the taking were available in the break room.

I went by to see if there was anything I could incorporate in an crafty project. 

I saw 2 of these. 

My first thought was it would make a cool stencil for a painting or even something cool to glue on a finished painting. 

My next thought was how about coasters for the guest bedroom?

Yeah boy, let's get to it. 

First I found a piece of scrap leather from Michaels. 

 

Then I cut it to size. 

How am I going to get holes punched in the leather I asked myself. 

Oh, I know, I'll use one of my handy dandy crafty punches. 

The next question is will I use a needle and thread or rivets?

 Please. 

You saw the rivets coming a mile away didn't you? 

 I pounded the rivets in with a hammer. 

Oooh, pretty and stress management too!

 

Ok, so I got a little hammer happy with one or two of the rivets but I am happy with the finished project. 

I decided to only make one coaster and keep the other one for a stencil.  I have plenty of coasters laying around the hizzle if more are needed in the guest bedroom.

I'm taking a few days of vacation next week so there is no telling what else I may find or create. 

Peace, Love, Laughter, and Soul Y'all. 

January 11, 2011

According to news reports, 49 of the 50 states measured snow fall.  Only Florida was without some of the winter goodness.

We were no exception.

Snow flakes are falling on the deck. . .

Snow flakes are falling in the trees . . .

Burl is covered in fluff. . .

A winter wonderland from the front balcony. . .

Hi winter.  Not only do I see you, but I feel you too. 

In the meadow we can build a snowman!

Well, at least that night we could have.  Today we are back to gray skies, wind, and rain. 

How's the weather where you are?

Peace, Love, Laughter, and Soul Y'all. 

My Space - My Bathroom

Welcome to the final room of  the part of the house in which I dwell. 

My bathroom. 

The place where the magic really does happen.

If you are in the bed and look to your left, this is what you'll see. 

It gets amazing light, which can and eventually, did lead to a challenge for light sensitive me. 

I was all good until late fall and then I had to add a curtain. 

Let me just say I was blinded by the light while on the throne one too many times.   

So, although I didn't originally intend on having a curtain in here, I feel it adds a nice finishing touch to the quarter bathroom. 

Feel free to laugh as it took me about 45 minutes in the aisle of Target to decide on this curtain.  I wasn't sure it would match the sink.  Yes, 45 minutes of standing in the aisle looking at this curtain and another one.  Finally I decided to buy this one and return if needed. 

Oooh, let there be light.  On a dimmer.  Only three spots in the hizzle don't have dimmer switches - the hall, the entry stairs, and Bevo's Den. 

I have a thing with white towels, as you can see.

I am firm believer every bathroom you spend an extended period of time is deserving of a clock. 

Looking at this picture one might think I should hang the clock a bit higher but when there is a towel or two on the rack it looks evenly spaced.

Now the reason why I say this is where the magic happens is because of the above and below pictures. 

Above is my throne, the toilet, and below is the shower I get fresh and clean in. 

I do my makeup either in my bedroom or facing this, my double sided mirrored medicine cabinet. 

When I first bought the medicine cabinet, at Big Lots by the way, and hung it on the wall, I was a little dumbfounded as to why the inside would be mirrored too. 

Now? Now I couldn't imagine it NOT having a mirror inside.

Remember the amazing light I referred to earlier from the window?

It is great for makeup application, tweezing, etc..

Everyone get excited.  You've just peeked inside the forbidden peeking place, the medicine cabinet.

I hope you have enjoyed the tour of my home. 

It truly is my a retreat and sanctuary for me.  I hope yours is the same. 

Peace, Love, Laughter, and Soul Y'all. 

My Space - My Sanctuary

I could say something really cheesy like welcome to my bedroom, the place where magic happens but I won't.

Instead, I invite you to the most personal space in my home. 

What you see peeking around the door in the above picture is one of my Rudolph slippers. 

Aren't they freaking adorable?

I think so.  Warm and fuzzy too.  

Ta Da.  My bed.   

I have a tendency to be made fun of quite often as it is just me who sleeps on the memory foam, high thread count sheets, with 7 pillows, an ultra suede down comforter at the foot of the bed, and another down comforter with yet another ultra suede duvet cover on the bed. 

I've been told my bed is complicated. 

I've been told 7 pillows is a bit much, which for the record I sleep with 2, and rotate them weekly so the wear is even. When I read in bed, I use 3 of them.   

I've been told 2 down comforters is not necessary.  One is lighter than the other.  Some nights are cooler than others. It's necessary for me.   

I say poop on the naysayers. 

My bed.  My way.  

You can probably tell which side of the bed I sleep on as the duvet is flatter and the nightstand is next to that side of the bed.

That is indeed a teddy bear you see laying on its back.  Spooky is my nightly companion along with Mr. Sandman. 

My brother Roger gave him to me as a present many, many years ago. He looks worse for wear but he's precious to me and I like to snuggle with him at night.

Oooh, look a pretty picture from Ikea with some of my absolutely all time favorite colors.  Seeing that abstract painting makes me happy and soothes my soul.  Call me crazy but it does.  Isn't that what art should do for you?

Behind the ultra suede chocolate brown black out curtains is the same type of window with wooden blinds as in the office/crafty room. 

I prefer my room to be dark when I sleep.  Also, when the bed was placed underneath the window the room looked unbalanced so I decided to curtain off half of the wall.  

Whoopsie, forgot to put the Uggs back in the closet.  That's a normal occurrence too; to leave a pair of shoes in the above spot versus putting them in closet that is.

Here's my nightstand and what you'll find on it pretty much every day I am home. 

The lamp is a touch lamp with 3 settings, the iHome alarm clock, a leather charging station, a cordless phone, a battery operated candle, and my beloved Kindle2 aka Kenny.  

 The remote control is for the fan, which is behind the door year round.  The middle section is reserved for my crackberry at night or to charge Kenny when needed.  The third section holds the TV remote control sometimes. More often than not, the TV remote control and cable box remote control are in the second nightstand drawer and this section of the charger is empty.

The long section of the charging station is a mish mash of the earrings I've worn for the last couple of days, a nail file, a bookmark, and one of the candles that sounds like a crackling fire when lit.

Did you notice the insulated Starbucks "glass" in an earlier picture?  That's my best friend when I am not traveling or I have traveled by car versus air.  It resides on the monogrammed coaster because I am anal like that. 

Directly across from the bed and nightstand is the bathroom, which you'll see tomorrow. 

Behold the tall 5 drawer dresser with large HD flat screen on top. 

Next to the dresser you'll find the year round fan, a towels only hamper, and three hats not worthy of being squished in with all the others. 

Hanging from the door are the lotions and body spray I use on a daily basis in a silver mesh bag. 

Once you make your way past the door, the closet greets you. 

Thank goodness I can't see without my contacts in or else waking up to seeing crazy bedhead first thing in the morning might be a little much for me to handle. 

So, there you have it.  My bedroom.  My sanctuary. 

Tomorrow the tour comes to an end.  We have one room remaining, which is my quarter bathroom.  This my friends is where the magic really does happen. 

Peace, Love, Laughter, and Soul Y'all. 

My Space - Crafty, Office Goodness

Today finds us in the room I spend a lot of time in. 

Welcome to my crafty space and home office. 

This is also the room my laundry hampers, yes hampers, are in. 

The first one at the bottom left of the picture is for darks.  The smaller and open faced matching ones are on the other side of the table and are for my lights and delicates. 

Above is a dry erasable calendar. My personal appointments, events, and out of town trips are what you'll find noted here. 

The table is where I make my cards and bust a crafty vibe. 

You might have noticed the old school fax machine on the floor.  It is still being used as I have not been able to figure the proper way to have the fax, copier, scanner, and printer work fax style yet.  I am going to have to call in the big gun aka J-Lo for that. 

I have the blessing and luxury to be able to work from home some days.  When those days are a part of my schedule, you'll find me here with my butt planted firmly in the chair. 

When I need a moment to reflect or decompress I should say, I either look out the window or turn to the right to see this.

  I like to think of the endless possibilities a tree lined path can offer. 

The cork board contains little bits of things and pictures which speak to my inner being.  Nothing particularly earth shattering and definitely not a vision board, just bits of life I love. 

From the window I see lots of birds, raccoons walking the fence, and on a clear day when the trees are bare, I eye spy a view of Dumas Bay. 
I store my crafty, creative items in this. 

 Paper, adhesives, glitter, punches, stamps, ink, paint, etc. oh my!

Directly across the hall from the office and crafty space is my bedroom. 

See you there tomorrow. 

Peace, Love, Laughter, and Soul Y'all.