Stealing a moment or two

Today,

I stole a few moments for myself.

 September was such a busy month at school.

~

I just had to come up for air

...and take myself...

somewhere where I can easily lose myself 

... wandering through the past...

at Something Olde ~ Something New

{my favorite consignment shop}

...where I found this sweet gem of a teacup

and the little birdie that looks so cozy inside

and this adorable Warren Kimble hen and chicks lamp

that is now on my kitchen table.

 The sweet cross stitch tablecloth was a must.

as was the milk glass hen and chicks covered dish.

...now....

..I didn't stop there...

 

I also found a J Jill cashmere sweater set for a steal.

... I think I need the soft and cozy hugs of this sweater set 

along with all my prayers

to keep me sane at school :o)

{I love my students - they keep it real... it's all the state and national pressures making it unreal!}

 Oh... and for just a few dollars, I picked up fresh new Liz Claiborne reading glasses for my purse.

Can you believe how many things are typed in size 9 font these days!?!

~     ~    ~

 I love visiting this consignment shop filled with vintage treasures.

It makes me feel like I'm touching the past

...like I'm back in the days of my mother and grandmother...

a wonderful

and comforting

feeling

♥

Wishing you all wonderful and comforting October days.

Blessings and Overflowing Grace

to you

always,

~ Maria

 

summer makeovers

I love looking back at little projects that

still put a smile on my face.

This little dresser was $15.

It had chipping and peeling icky brown paint.

"Please bring me home, Maria"

 (Okay :o)

I was so happy when I brought it in the house all clean, creamy white and with 

its vintage brass knobs polished and pretty.

Barkeeper's friend brought the shine back like a dream!

 This worn little side table was only $10

but because it was so sturdy, I took it home and rescued it from a rainy garage sale day.

It just needed a little elbow grease

polish and stain.

 I smiled when this was finished.

$10... not bad!

I forgot to take a photo of the very, very old cottage dresser that I bought for my sewing room...

but I gathered the drawers for a "group shot" that would give you the idea of how it looked before.

For me this is another icky color.

It reminded me of that old "avocado green" color of the 70's.

I love using Stix Primer.

It really does stick to any surface.  The dresser got a little rough sanding first...

nothing too serious... and then two coats of Stix Primer.

 The gallon of creamy white Behr Paint in "heavy cream" refinished so many pieces this spring and summer... and there was still plenty to use for this dresser too.

It's great looking back to see some work finally done... some sweet little rewards of summer...

My spools of thread are all organized in the top drawers and folded fabrics in the bottom drawers.

Many of my patterns are in the drawers of the little dresser.

 ~

My feet are up tonight.

Back to school week is always so exciting.

I hope you had a great week too!

Blessings always, dear friends and family  

♥

 {Happy to be participating in Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday}

 

 "I count myself lucky, having long ago won a lottery paid to me in seven sunrises a week for life."

- Robert Brault

This beautiful quote

{and so ingeniously clever as always with Robert Brault}

reminded me of what my father so often says...

"When I open my eyes each morning, I thank God for the gift of another day."

Dad will be 88 next month!

~

 ... to start each day with gratitude...

this is how we grow

JOY

 

{Thank you for the hot air balloon photo, Jason!}

A River Walk

We had a beautiful trip to Austin, Texas last week. 

We loved every minute we spent with Jason. We were also
lucky to be there with our daughter, Amanda. This time, we
flew into San Antonio. The price was so much lower, we were
able to rent a car for the difference. 

We stayed at the Crockett Hotel, on the recommendation of my friend,
Claudette - who stayed there this spring. They have lovely rooms that
overlook The Alamo and a wonderful continental breakfast.

 Isn't this great?

It was delicious too!

After resting a bit from our travels, we enjoyed the evening sun
and walked through the grounds of The Alamo.

We also spent hours strolling along The River Walk..

There was a warnm, dry breeze...

...the aroma of amazing food everywhere!

..and the music...


After two days in San Antonio, we drove with great anticipation to Austin.

Getting BIG family hugs was the best part of the week...
nothing tops that!

Wishing you much love, peace, and joy,
warm summer breezes,
and most importantly
knowing how much
you are loved by
an awesome
God!

Surprised by Joy!

I'm still, very slowly reading Ann Voskamp's book "0ne Thousand Gifts."

Her chapter, "Go Lower," is so beautifully written.

"Surprised by joy!"

C.S. Lewis, she writes, was 'surprised by joy.'

She writes of the sheer joy and delight of a small child

~ through the example of her youngest child ~

You can search the world over, Ann writes, and find joy LIKE THAT only in a child.

"The secret to a child's language of laughter, their domain of delight, is perspective. "

"The heights of our joy are measured by the depths of our gratitude."

May we find the greatest joys in the small and simple things ~ discovering that gratitude precedes the miracles!

Wishing you many beautiful days ahead ~ sprinkled with ...

Showers of grace and blessings for you dear friends and family,

~ Maria

Quotes from "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp

Photo of my oldest ~ Amanda, when she was very small 

peace

 "Lifelong prayer brings peace to your lion's den."

 via

Last week, the associate pastor of the church we attend, spoke those words.

Those words settled deep in my soul.

I needed to hear them.

We all have our own lion's dens.

This summer, I looked into the "eyes" of the three overstuffed bedrooms

where my children stayed... as little ones and as adults...

With Chris' help and God's daily offering of Grace

we brought peace to that lion's den that seemed so daunting.

Ahhh Peace!

Another lion's den I face is what has become of my profession.

The jaws of government wait.

The evaluations will be impersonal and litigious.

It's easy to feel like a small animal who spends unimaginable time and effort

trying to avoid becoming prey...

* instead *

via

 I will pray every day for my school, colleagues and students

and bring PEACE

to this lion's den.

...just had to share this with you, my friends and family ♥

busy as a bee

Hello!

Just stopping by my little blog to show you some of the

work we've been doing and the progress we've made.

~

Amanda's old room went from "teen dream"

to "woodland white."

{a Benjamin Moore color} 

My sewing room went from "industrial"  

{no before photo, but imagine three base cabinets with a countertop that went the width of the room
and a twin bed on the other side with a tray-table night stand} 

...to a sweet and cottage*y place to dream and sew...

I searched this spring for vintage dressers and really enjoyed the transformation process!

I'll post my before and afters soon.

 We've been cleaning out closets and sorting through lots of things that belong to our children.

It brought back memories to find things like

Pokeman cards {Jason's closet}

and NSYNC concert photos {girls' closet}!

Yes, deep cleaning, fresh paint and organizing was long overdue!

I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel...

We will be painting the hallway and stairwell next week.

Amanda has long been on her own and is now enjoying some sparkling times of her own!

 {Taken by Amanda earlier this week in Cape Sebastian, Oregon}

~

It is nice "to be back" in blogland this morning!

~ I'll be visiting you all soon ~

God bless you always,

Wishing you much summer JOY!

{Enjoy more summertime joys at Sky Watch Friday!}