Whimsical Me Style

Thought I'd show you some new kitchen photos 

and some creations I've been painting to put inside of it.

I have pondered and pondered on how to add some decor

to my new kitchen with the white cabinets and black counter-tops. 

(also have a red buffet cabinet in there too that I love)

When you read the decor sites they tell you it is better

 not to go with a themed kitchen

 for  fear of making it look out dated.

Just reading that stressed me out

because the perfectionism

 side of me wants to do it right the first time so I 

don't have to spend more money to do it again.

Yes, I know, that I really do need to loosen up!

“what if
we just acted
like 
everything was
 easy?"

…Mary Anne Radmacher….

  As much as I love creating art, I have 

more stress over decorating my home by the latest decor standards!  

So  I decided to just be me,

 and decorate with what I myself enjoy!!

There is a short wall above the kitchen cabinets beside the sink 

where I am going to put

 three small square paintings I am creating, along 

 with a black and white polka dotted plate between each of them.

Here is a sneak peek at 2 of my three paintings that I am working on.

I am so glad I decided to go with my own imagination

Actually, I used black pen and ink

 for all of the black on the mugs and painting

and then added me some glorious RED acrylics..

(also I'm loving the checkered tape added at the bottom)

Whimsical touches to my kitchen are making me HAPPY!!

I had to have this sign I found from Gordmans.

It goes right along with my whimsical style and fits perfectly.

When you have an over 100 year old house, you have to do things

in stages or else it would cost a fortune. Therefore,

we are waiting on our cabinet maker to make our second set of 

cabinets that are to go above the refrigerator and oven.  His great 

work and talent is worth waiting on. 

I promise to take pictures of the entire kitchen

 once the rest of the cabinets are installed and my decor all up.

 This is an older photo and was taken at night,

 so the lighting was a little off and I realize I need to

 take another photo that shows I do have handles on all of my cabinet doors now.

I hope this post finds YOU being Y♥U and not fretting over

whether you should BE or not.  

I don't think I am the only one who questions herself sometimes?

In this world of the internet 

with all of it's images, pinterest, blogging etc.., we 

could find ourselves comparing

 our art, our writing, our _______ (you name it),

 to something or someone else,

and then letting it discourage us. 

“The things that make me different are the things that make me.”  

…..A. A. Milne  (Winnie the Pooh)

Winnie the Pooh was so SMART!!!

Y♥U are so uniquely special,

 because God made you that way!

 Did you know he rejoices over YOU (who you are) with singing?

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with 

his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”

--Dolly Parton

♥

Hugs to you all this week from ME ..

1000 Gifts List continued.........

264. glorious SUNSHINE today!

265. being okay (finally) with just being Me. 

266. Uncle Dick's life testimony at his funeral

267. God's gift of ears to really listen and hear others

268. shots in the foot that take the pain away so I can take my nature walks again! :)

269. a day of creating together with my sister

270. being able to stay away from white sugar for 2 weeks now! (great feat for me)

271. thankful for my special mom-in-law and ftr.-in-law
272, for the glorious color RED

273. hearing my 5 year old granddaughter, over the phone recite her (beyond her years) math facts to me. 

      

Embrace Today!

Hi my friends!! 

 I know I've been absent from blog land

for way too long.  I had to take a break because of

 so much going on around here, and in my life,

 including

 my foot in a boot/air cast from a possible stress fracture.

Do you know, 

can a stress fracture in your foot

 cause your brain to go on vacation?

Carrying this heavy boot around on my foot

has tired me out more than usual, 

especially  during

the evenings, when I've come home 

from my job after working all day. 

 I just didn't realize the writing side of my

brain would be affected too.

I have missed writing to you all so very much.

There has been a void without Y♥U.

Here is what I've been doing while lounging

on the couch lately. 

 More pen and ink drawings.

Such great, creative, on the couch therapy!! 

With this kind of couch therapy, you don't even need a therapist!

Just your favorite black waterproof ink pens

 (uni-ball vision is my favorite)

and I use watercolor paper which seems to drink in the ink so well.

I’ve been thinking about what WORD I wanted to choose and be intentional about living out in 2012.

I believe if we really listen and keep our eyes open, we will find a gift in the everyday!  It  really is, most usually, the small everyday things that give us the little pleasures which when added up, become the sweet and blessed life.  It is my goal daily this year to really listen and keep my eyes open and take the time to notice and be thankful for these gifts! ♥

So I have chosen two words and not just one and they are:

“embrace today”

With these two words, it will go right along with my continuing

 1000 Gifts List

 that I started in September 2011 and have been listing some at the end of my blog posts.

 I will continue with making this list

 through this new year also.

Later, in some other blog posts, I will share with you more on why I chose these two words.

 I'm so excited to be sharing 2012 with each of you!

embracing our friendship today!

202.  for my grandchildren singing song after song to me over the telephone!

203.  a seat by the warm fireplace to read while at the bookstore.

204.  God giving me a new song each day in all of it's newness to live out.

205   for life's changes that make me change in ways I would not, if I were not made to.

206.  me and hubby getting to play dominoes with 3 other couple friends!  FUN!!

207.  thankful for the post office so I can mail love packages to family living in other states

208.  for a special lunch and new friendships

209.  how God works out things you never thought were possible

210.  the therapy creating brings

We've Been Under Construction

We've been up to our elbows over the past 3 weeks

in demolishing and remodeling.  We had a plumbing leak in our kitchen that

we did not know about until it ended up in a closet in the bedroom

 on the other side of the wall.  

 Thankfully, we had good homeowner's insurance and then

we also decided this was the time to do a few extras.  

(A sneak peek and will show you more when it is finished)

 Here is Byron, our cabinet maker doing his great detail work.

Right now, while I post this,

 I am squeezed between

 our new dishwasher, yet to be installed into the kitchen,

 and the computer desk,

 along with boxes full of kitchen items,

 just so I can type up this post.

A couple of days ago, the oven range 

was sitting in our family room along with the refrigerator, 

while flooring was being laid

 both in the kitchen and in our bedroom. 

 So now you know why

 I haven't taken the time to post for so long.

I just couldn't get my brain out of chaos gear and into posting mode.

I hope you haven't had anything keeping you from
being all ready for Christmas.
So glad that even in the midst of unexpected chaos, that 
I can center on baby Jesus, laying in that lowly manger inside
of an animal stable.  It kind of puts everything in perspective!
So thankful that HE is my KING.

Now I need to go sweep up some sawdust!

♥