Never Give Up & Always Celebrate Who You Are!



Come sit a spell and let's share some muffins and coffee!

I'm a creative artist.  Let's talk about my talent and how it developed.  I am more than just a survivor of childhood/adult trauma/abuse.  I am fortunate...in all the craziness of my world, my mind is intact and I get so excited about life and making a difference.  I am not bitter nor is my life filled with darkness.  It is my purpose to let those of you out there (if you identify with my blog) know there is HOPE!  As children we don't have many choices but as adults we do.  We aren't responsible for what happened to us but we are responsible for our own recovery!! 

This weeks marks the 7th year that we've lived in this house.  I'm so grateful to have been able to see my gardens mature and the house evolve.  It used to drive my husband nuts that I couldn't sit still and always had to have a project in the works.  Now, he just smiles and says this place is a fun and relaxing place to come home to.  It's kind of like when I played paper dolls and made homes out of shoe boxes.  I took a test at Ethan Allen to see what my decorating style was...it ended up being Romantic Country English with an eclectic twist.  I'm a "come in and sit a while person" and love to have friends and family in for visits.  Favorite colors?  Red, Purple, Gold and brown...  In doing the design for the little casa, I used softer colors..It's taken some getting used to but I sure didn't want two houses that looked the same!

Our home had a formal dining room that we never used.  I decided that I would send the dining room table and chairs to the little casa and make the room more usable for praying and reading.  I always feel very comfortable in that room and like to snuggle down on the sofa with the dogren and a good book.  There's a lot of history in that room.  Everywhere I look I'm reminded of those I love and how this room came together.

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I also like to do wreaths and floral arrangements.  When I get tired of them, I tear them apart, give them a cleaning and start over.  God blessed me with being able to put together unusual items to make something beautiful.   I used to be a magazine junkie...I couldn't get enough of learning about design.  Now I'm an HGTV junkie.  With the help of magazines and watching others put together homes, I found my own style ... in so many ways, it defines me!  Some years ago, I hired a professional landscaper to do a small garden for my zero lot line home.  I sat outside and watched how they started, the process, and the finished product.  As a result, I found out that I loved digging in the dirt and making the landscape a work of art.  It's taken me 7 years of digging and planting to make the backyard look like a country garden.  Michael says I move plants around like most people do furniture!    



My creativity has evolved over many years.  My ex-husband, Bob, had a good eye for design and did drawings and paintings.  He encouraged me and loved my off the wall design.  Well, my first try at painting a room red was a disaster and we ended up calling in a professional to clean up my mess.  I learned a lot from that feeble attempt but in the end, the room turned into a great room for my son ... very manly!  The more time I invested in my creations, the more excited I got and the more success I had. I'm not afraid to mix plaids, florals, stripes, and different textures.  I love going to Trade Days and find bargains that fit perfectly in a special place.  Most of the items I purchase, have a story.  For example:

One day I was digging through some junk at an antique store and found this boudoir chair.  It was a mess so I picked it up for a song.  I think the dealer felt sorry for me because he threw the boudoir pot in on the deal.  I refinished  the chair & reupholstered the seat.  (See Above) From the chair are hanging some ice skates circa before 1900 and a Shillelagh (the Irish used these clubs in fights ... ouch!).  The vignette came out as a fun conversation piece.  My grandchildren have to show people where you would go to the bathroom if you didn't want to go to the outhouse.   It's usable too, as an extra chair when needed!

I'm a candle gal...nothing better than a jet tub bath by candle light.  I love to watch the flames dance in the darkness.  Coming from from a little city by a lake, I love the sound of water...it soothes my soul.  Two of the houses where I have lived had swimming pools with waterfalls...and I thought I was in pig heaven.

So....I guess you could say, yes, I am a romantic soul as comfortable in denim as I am in a ball gown and my surroundings reflect that.   You see, my childhood was what it was...my marriages were what they were BUT I was strong enough to shine in the darkness.  No one could break my spirit!

Night everyone!  Sweet dreams.  My bear on the bed says I Am Loved ... and, it's true, I am ... and, you are too!