Month: March 2016

DIY Scrap Wood Open Shelving

DIY Open ShelvingMy TV passion right now is watching “Fixer Upper” on the Home and Garden TV channel.  The show features a husband and wife (Chip and Joanna Gaines), who live in Waco, Texas, on a restored farmhouse.  They are so cute together and the show is delightful.  Each episode of the show highlights how they restore fixer upper homes for other folks within their budget.  It is amazing what they can do.

Joanna’s style tends to include antique pieces, industrial items, and of course farmhouse, especially open shelving, featured in most of the kitchens she designs.

My kitchen is old, small, and nothing expensive about it, no granite countertops or fancy backsplash.  Recently, I did paint it a nice gray and we do have fairly new stainless appliances.  Not much money for anything else, but for now I wanted to share a fun DIY project, spending less than $20.

It’s my little bit of farmhouse style using scrap wood.

Kitchen Shelving Project

Now that it is completed, I have a bit of farmhouse open shelving on a small wall in my kitchen.  I really love the look and that it also allows me to display some of my white dishes, bowls, and pitchers.

The wood was a scrap piece I found in my garage, a 2″ x 8″.  I had it cut into two pieces, sanded, and stained with Mimwax, Special Walnut.  Purchased the brackets at Home Depot for $5 each.  That was it!

Open ShelvingA DIY project like this brings me joy, it is simple, clean looking, inexpensive, and so fun to put together.

Something I always try to remember about my home, “all that I have, is all that I need”.

I have a sweet home, filled with all the things I cherish, and blessed with love and laughter.

Blessings to all!

 

 

 

 

 

Not Just a Cup and Plate

An enjoyable afternoon for me, when I just want to get away from the everyday things in my life, is to visit an antique shop or antique mall.

On my most recent trip I stopped and focused on this glass plate with a sweet matching cup.  I almost immediately remembered why I loved it so!

Glass cup and plate

Years ago, when my parents bought a new home in an ordinary subdivision setting for that time, my mother began to experience lots of neighbors.  Most women in those days did not work, so getting together for coffee and such was common.  Once a month the ladies took turns hosting luncheons.  This was something new for my Mom, and I still recall her anxiety when it was her turn.

She cleaned and cooked and she even managed to buy some special dishes. She wanted everything to be special. The dishes were glass with small matching cups, which fit on the plate. She loved the little dishes, and although I was only in the sixth grade, I loved them too!

I bought the plate and cup and will always cherish the things I have in common with my Mom, especially the love of caring for my home as she did.

Mom's cup and plate

My story has a sad ending, my father was troubled and eventually lost our home. Overwhelming heartbreak fell on us, especially Mom.

This memory brings sadness and tears to my eyes when writing it, since today is my Mom’s birthday.  Mom would have been 92 today.

My parents divorced, but Mom kept us all together with her love and caring.  We all miss her every single day.  She was the most loving Mother and Grandmother to all of us for all of her life.

My comfort is knowing she is in the presence of our Lord, and the suffering she experienced at the end of her life is over.

Happy Birthday dear sweet Mom.

birthday mom

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Are you all wearing a bit of green today?

Shamrock

My husband’s grandparents came to the United States through Ellis Island from County Galway, Ireland.  They met in New York and married before moving to Ohio.  Grandma was a maid and Grandfather worked for the railroad.  They were truly wonderful people, loving parents of six children, hard working, and devout Catholics.

I love these wedding photos taken over 85 years ago.

Irish GrandparentsGrandma looks so lovely, and Grandfather so young and strong.

When my son was small, not yet in school, we would make a trip to see Grandma once a week to help with cleaning or errands.  The best part of the visit was sitting and having a cup of tea with her listening to her stories of Ireland and of meeting Grandfather.

We do not have a huge celebration on St. Patrick’s Day but I try to do a little something special and always Shamrocks on the table.

Although I was having dinner out with a friend tonight, I left chocolate cupcakes and Cincinnati’s famous Greater’s mint chocolate chip ice cream for my husband and son.

St. Pat's TreatsYummy!

Wishing all of you lots of Leprechaun kisses on this day.

May your troubles be less

and your blessings be more,

and nothing but happiness

come through your door.

“And the rain will fall ….”

I have always loved the Bee Gees, especially Robin Gibb.  When he passed I was so very sad.

The lyrics in a song he sang comes to my mind as I think of events in my life over the last few lost months.

On my last post I wrote of losing both of our beloved pets, but I did not know at the time that there would be more “rain” to fall.

With Christmas approaching, I had to pick myself up and try to make our home festive for the holidays, although my heart was not there.  My family was coming for Christmas Eve so with the help of my son we worked on painting and carpeting our finished basement, which we had not used in years. When completed it was so very nice.

Two days after Christmas, the “rain” did come literally.  On the morning of December 27th, I discovered that our newly finished basement was flooded.  Our hard work for so many weeks was ruined.  It was such a mess!

With a calmness I can’t believe, and again with the help of my son, we cleaned once again, dried up everything, and moved on looking forward to a new year.

The weather turned very cold and on January 5th, we decided to warm up with a fire in our wood burning fireplace.  After about an hour we suddenly started to hear a noise which I can only describe as pounding coming from our fireplace.  My son ran outside and when I got to the door he met me saying, “Mom, we are in trouble, call 911”.  Flames were coming from our chimney!

The “rain” had once again fallen on our lives.

Thankful to the Fire and Rescue folks, and so very thankful the fire did not spread into our home and to others homes around us, and we were all safe.

Smoke and a black soot rested on many rooms in our home, but again with a calmness from God, we picked ourselves up, brushed off the soot, and started again with our lives.

I really do believe God does not give us more than we can handle.

In the song the lyrics continue to say, “and the sun will shine, it will shine on you”,  and I am happy to report, the sun is shining once more on us.

Hope your lives find calmness when the “rain” falls on you.