Family Heirloom

Another newly completed project was an old wicker laundry basket I came into owning after the a passing of my Aunt Jayne. Truthfully... it was in relatively decent shape when first brought home, however, after two cross country moves, a puppy with a chewing fetish, and a lot of use, it lost its original charm. I did a lot of web investigation on proper repair of the original cane and learned about techniques of primer and painting. I also wanted to give this a vintage French charm, thus entailing breaking out the old sewing machine, buying burlap, lace, and finding a simple embellishment that kept the antique decor in tact.  

As you can see, the cane was broken and quite weathered

I used a burlap fabric purchased at Joanne's (my new favorite)

A small heart shaped, gold tone embellishment purchased at Michael's

And some antique-looking lace saved from a thrift store find months ago

 

First I had to repair the broken areas by securing them with a spray adhesive

Then it was colored with Krylon spray paint in "Heirloom White"

The final outcome! I love the simplicity and overall shabby chic moteif.

Simple Inspirations

 

One of this weekends projects was very simple, yet gratifying. This table was a freebie. The only materials required were a wire brush (my bbq brush worked great!) a square of sand paper for a few rough edges and a can of spraypaint. (Rustoleum, cornflower blue) 

 

The final result was a simple, but very girlie table. My old table was an impulse purchase. Note to self: it helps to actually measure the area you plan on using the piece instead of just "eyeballing" it. It was too large and took too much space. This new, shorter, smaller one, works perfect.

 

I am eager to give my balcony a face lift sometime in the next few weeks and turn it into a place of zen (although I may call for reinforcements on that undertaking.) It needs sanding, a fresh coat of paint, and some type of attached planter for a bit of greenery. Stay tuned.....

 

the table was very rusted and in need of TLC

I love the color contrast and the feminine appeal. After all, it is for a lady's patio!

For the Love of Lists

As of late I have become very forgetful which is a huge disservice to ones' self when you are brimming with creativity. I seem to be a magnet to new information. However, I feel like I am trying to pour a gallon of ideas into a shot glass. I have found my solution in the form of a mega-organizer. It contains run-of-the-mill tabs for addresses, calendars, and memos. Additionally, I have inserted a personal divider that catalogues my eclectic thoughts. Under this tab you will find over a dozen tabulations for matters of interest to yours truly.

These range fromthe proverbial "to do" list to special upcoming occasions. There is a manifest of "someday" travel destinations (my love of cobblestone streets, chic Bettina, and off-the-beaten-path adventure), community volunteering opportunities (I am a huge believer in giving back), upcoming release dates and movie titles, topics that have piqued my curiosity which I intend on exploring, and music to purchase online, to name a few. In fact, as I write this blog, I have television on in the background and a new list is forming in my head of several upcoming specials on KPBS that look quite interesting. One is a movie entitled "Call the Midwife" (Sept 30th); the other, "The Dust Bowl" (Nov 18), both of which are based on histrionic individuals who made a difference to Europe and Early America.

The largest section is for creative projects I want to undertake. Said blueprints range from my attempt at photojournalism, blog topics and a wide array of Do-It-Yourself visions. These lists have become so detailed I had to create an entire book exclusively for these art pour l'art (translation: art, for the sake of art), which includes a sketch pad and pencil/ruler pouch. I am no are-teeeest, but the doodles make sense in my head so I suppose it makes no difference. Do not get me started on the photos I have from my hours of web surfing "DIY" which are now nestled comfortably in a binder, protected by plastic sleeves.

If anyone ever stumbled on my organizer they would surely get a glimpse inside my head. So, readers, do any of you keep lists? If so, would you care to share your thoughts?

So Many Ideas, So Little Time

As some of my readers know, my latest hobby is refinishing furniture in funky and creative ways. It is such a thrill to me to find old pieces of furniture or random items and give them inordinary purpose. Although I have only completed one project thus far, I have several more on the horizon, including a hanging lamp, laundry basket, and two high-boy lingerie chests. None of the photos below are any of my own accomplishments, however, they are some very quite ideas that have inspired me...  And now, off to buy some new supplies!!

Hanging rubber boot planters

Using an old shutter for a kitchen organizer

 

Re-purposing a rake for hanging jewlery

 Dresser drawers as shadow boxes

 

Use antique teacups as drawer organizers

 

 

Down to Earth, Up With Style

A spontaneous night at my favorite staycation boutique hotel here in San Diego...

 

 Starting the morning poolside with an Ipod and an Iced Toffee Nut Latte

 

 Enjoying the low key vibe

(gotta LOVE the signage on booze and swimmin')

 

The daily signature cocktail... "Greenhouse Effect"

Muddled basil and cucumber, house infused jalapeno gin, fresh lime, soda (shown on right)

 

A delish dinner in their groovy lounge...

Diver scallops, corn risotto, asparagus, topped with capers and caramelized onions

 

And, finally, sleeping in your stylish, relaxing, awesome digs

 

Thanks, Pearl People, and especially my buddy Greg, owner and proprietor extraordinaire.

 

Salvaged and Restored

 

I have, for the most part, quit drinking any form of alcohol. 32 days and counting (with one minor relapse.) I found myself with evenings at home seeking something to occupy my time. One can only watch the idiot box and repeat episodes of sit coms for so long when the need for something relatively intelligent and productive becomes apparent. My first project was, ironically, a wine/cocktail rack salvaged from CraigsList. My plan for up-cycling this gem (circa 1975) was to use it for my mass collection of jewlery boxes and necklace displays.

 

1. I started with hand sanding all areas and using a rubber mallet to place some of the bars back into the proper alignment. (Unfortunately folks, I neglected to take a "before" shot until I had completed the sanding portion...)

 

 

2. Next step was to tape off every other bar as I wanted it to have a multi-colored tone. Spray painting commenced in my backyard with a Rustoleum paint the color of  "ebony" with gold metallic flecks. 

 

3. Next I uncovered the taped sections and hand painted every other bar with a Martha Stewart brand gold paint called "Champagne". This took three coats but turned out quite beautifully. As an embellishment I used a hot glue gun to adhere pearls every five inches to give it s more Hollywood ""Glam" appearance. 

The final outcome was not too shabby considering this was my first time undertaking a restoration project on my own. The lines of black and gold did not photograph very well, unfortunately, but in person the contrast works great. After moving my little masterpiece upstairs to my lair and strategically placing all the jewlery boxes in a beautiful display, I'm sad to say the pearls began falling off. Lesson learned: hot glue does not adhere well to painted wrought iron. However, it DOES pop off without damaging the paint underneath. So.. no harm, no foul.

cocktail rack........................................... $20

paint and materials................................. $12

pearls from an adventure in thrifting... $1.99

glue and gun......................................... $0.00

Overall cost of hands-on therapy............................................... PRICELESS

Green-Eyed Monster

It has been a while since I felt passionate enough about anything to break out my keyboard. It is time to confront my creative inadequacies and dip my ink back in the well.

Recently I have reconnected with my first love whom I have not seen or spoken to in over 20 years. It was amazing to catch up and reminisce over old times. Although a lot of ancient memories came flooding back with a touch of sentimental "what-ifs" no future rendezvous has been planned. It is possible to admire someone without coveting them.

Said man is currently going through a breakup of soap opera proportions with a woman with whom he has fathered two young sons. The mother is young and possesses quite the juvenile mentality. So, this writing goes out to any young woman who finds themselves in a jealous state of mind. Take heed of these words from the older, wiser, and been-there-done-that, guru, yours truly.

When you sense a barrier with your significant other, it is ill-advised to spread the gruesome details to anyone who pops a curious cochlear in your direction. Keep a smile on your face and a solid front, as though everything is status quo. As the old phrase goes: Never let them see you sweat. Personal business should remain behind closed doors, despite social media trends.

As women we all have an innate primitive instinct to protect what we love, however, we must go about it the most productive way possible. With constant suspicion and a distrustful mind, the smallest things may appear as guilty acts when, in reality, they may be totally above board. You will torment yourself into a miserable existence and likely push a good man away with your accusations. Allowing yourself to be threatened by every female who crosses his path will cloud your ability to truly know love. Remember, before you can love someone else you must first love yourself. Going into CIA mode (snooping through his phone or hacking into email) never leads to a positive outcome. This is a major breach of trust. Instead, be upfront and ask him what is going on, but give him the benefit of the doubt. Never assume you have all the facts. As he defends his name, LADIES: the virtue of silence is golden!!!

Name calling and childish slander are quite unbecoming of a classy lady and will ONLY highlight the maturity of your so-called competitor that much more. Pushing someone else down to pump yourself up is NOT a desirable trait to have. The first sign of insecurity is allowing jealousy to permeate and control your psyche.  A man worthy of your affection will always keep the woman with elegance and dump the rest out with yesterday’s trash. He most certainly will not hold tight to the one who brings drama into his daily life.

By heeding these suggestions you will have a much better chance at long term happiness. Don’t be the girl who looks back with regret and shame remembering the fool she made of herself. Happiness is the best revenge and NO ONE controls your happiness more than yourself. Project grace and decorum and hold your head high. Recognize your own worth. Class will always trump immaturity.

 

Enjoying the company of yourself

This weekend I indulged in some R and R about an hour out of town. By 8pm Friday I was taking an evening dip in a refreshing pool with a cocktail in hand. Saturday morning dawned to a fresh cup of Temecula's finest brew and a morning spent soaking up some Vitamin D, paperback fiction in hand.

The afternoon brought heat in excess of 100 degrees so I brought my derier to the Casino, where I promptly won $121.00. Upon my departure, alas, my car battery had kicked the proverbial bucket, so another 45 minutes was spent waiting in a parking garage... alas, my savior came in the form of a AAA technician. One new battery later, I was back by the pool enjoying a chicken salad and iced tea, sans the long island. After a few episodes of forensic television sleep beckoned me.

This morning I strolled through Old Town Temecula, window shopping and taking in the sights. I eventually found my way to Old Highway 395, a long, curvy county road surrounded by horse farms, fields of fruit and beautiful mountains; spontaneously stopping along the way at a fruit stand where local farmers sold their fare for extremely reasonable prices. For a mere 8.50 I bagged cucumbers, mango's, squash, and 30 avocados. Yes, 30... that was NOT a  typo. Small in size but PERFECT to take for lunch. And for $5 a bushel, who could possibly resist?

All in all, a very calming few days. At one with myself, not forced into small talk or mundane conversations, nor abiding else's schedule. I reflected on recent changes to my life and made some new resolutions on bettering myself.  Although I enjoy going on adventures with friends and family, this was one that proved to be just what the doctor ordered.

French Heirlooms

Two months ago, the last if the five Cote Family daughters passed away at age 91. How apropos that she was the baby of the family. Being the sentimental gal I am, my father allowed me to browse their home of 50+ years and pick a few mementos to cherish them by. Sadly, neither of them were ever married or had children and they lived together their entire lives. They were the epitome of French sophistication and had impeccable taste.

I chose a hand crocheted bedspread, finished in the 1960's by my Great-Grandmother, a silver tea service, a set of 1950's end tables the sisters purchased on a trip to Turkey and a vintage filigree wall mirror. Even after their calling back to God, their giving lives on. Thank you, Cote sisters, for all your love, advice, and overall generosity.

Happy Birthday, America!

Everyone have a safe and blessed 4th of July!

To my brother Bob, you are loved and missed...

Happy Birthday to you too!!!

MY Extreme Makeover, Weight Loss Edition

Seven years ago I was 70 pounds lighter and felt the BEST I had ever felt in my life. I was happy, confident, healthy, and full of life. I had so much self confidence.

My entire life I have struggled with my weight. Depression was a large part of it, but the main issue was being addicted to food. After several very emotional experiences in life, I just lost all hope of ever being happy and completely let myself go. At my heaviest I weighed 310 pounds, and at only 5 feet, 2 inches, I was so obese I don't think I would have been alive if I had not lost weight. After gastric bypass, I lost 150 pounds in 18 months. (as seen in the photo above).

As I said, seven years has passed and I have put 70 pounds back on. I know I can loose this extra weight. Even though I have gone up and down more times I care to remember, I somehow feel like this time may be my best chance. I finally have a steady job so I am not as stressed over money as I was before, and I can afford to rejoin my gym, which just happens to be 5 minutes from my new job. I also work for a clinic that specializes in metabolic programs and the doctors have offered to give me a consultation and help me along my journey.

So, tomorrow is Monday, July 2nd. As good as a time as ANY to get the party started. Stay posted my friends... here we go.

Feliz Dia de los Padres

Today I was blessed to share an afternoon with three of my four brothers, my Dad, step mom, and kids... all under one roof. The typical shenanigans of golf, family jokes, and childhood stories always make me smile. Buffalo sliders, mango salsa, steaks and veggies were consumed, followed by ice cream over brownies topped with homegrown blackberries.  YUMMY!!! The absolute best part was seeing my dad smile and be happy around all his kids. 


My favorite memories involving my dad all took place during my childhood years. Every summer we went on backpacking camping trips, sometimes on horseback, sometimes not.  He took me to see my first musical, "Annie" when I was 12. He taught me how to ride a bike, how to build cabinets, how to grow a vegetable garden, how to play the drums, and so many other things I could never list them all. My parents divorced when I was less than a year old but my father never missed a weekend visitation and made sure that I had some experiences growing up that I would treasure for a lifetime. He brought me on vacations to places like Maui, Boston, Mazatlan, Canada, and made sure I knew all my relatives who live back East. When I got married, he paid for the wedding, the honeymoon, and walked me down the aisle. Although the marriage didn't last, the bond we made strong that day will remain in my heart. 


We have not always seen eye to eye, in fact, there were many years we did not speak or attend the same functions, but we never stopped loving one another. My father is one in a million and I am surely blessed to be his one and only daughter. So dear dad, thank you for everything you have done for me, the lessons you have taught me and the experiences you have allowed me to have. I love you so much. 

Generation Next

Isn't it funny how much time has changed what the youthful generation considers to be in style? At risk of sounding geriatric, I remember in my high school days all we needed to be happy was a swatch watch, a radio  and some Ray-Ban sunglasses. The rest was unimportant. Of course, more would have been nice, but as long as you looked the part, you were part of the "in crowd."  We played sports in school and hung out at each others' house on weekends. If you had a phone in your bedroom you were big time. Most of us had the long curly cord stretching 20 feet into our room and hoped our parents didn't pick up another extension and listen in. Most houses had a TV in the living room, you were rich if your parents had cable OR a remote control, otherwise it was rabbit ears. We played arcade games and made our own cassette tapes recorded off the radio. We roller skated, had after school jobs, and had a family dinner every night. We respected our folks and had to use the good ol' Encyclopedia Britannica for research papers. College was optional. 


These days all the clothes in the world don't matter if you aren't equipped with the latest and greatest technical gadget or know what happened on the most recent episode of "Reality TV"  (Because Snookie and Housewives of Orange County are SUCH good role models).  If you can't do the latest dance step (teach ME how to Dougie, please) or have the coolest video game system (which consists of killing insurgents or stealing cars).... Kids are not satisfied unless they have a huge flat screen TV, Blu-ray,  full cable, cell phone, I-pad or E-Reader and money in their pocket for Starbucks, Jamba Juice, or McDonald's when they troll the mall on the weekend. I-pods are full of gender-bashing songs,  texting is the preferred method of communication, after-school jobs are "too stressful". Although college is no longer an option, but required for any decent standard of living, with the use of the 'net, the workload is cut in half. Any information you need is at your fingertips, a few keystrokes away.


Somehow along the way young parents have raised material monsters, myself included. Growing up in my era was much simpler and focused on positive things. With our children's generation, things have changed greatly.  Some for the better, more for the worse. It frightens me how spoiled and lacking of morals teens and 20 somethings are. Can you imagine the NEXT round??? More importantly, what are we going to do about it?

I'm a Believer

Ultrasonic

Today was one of the BEST days I have had in about a year. First, the workday went by at a steady pace and the entire office staff was in happy spirits. As it was Thursday, the doctor's bought everyone the "Free Thursday" lunch, today's menu was a Mexican fiesta from the nearby taco shop. During my lunch I received a complimentary ultrasonic "Kontour" treatment on my face by a coworker. I heard this took 3-4 sessions before you see results, but much to my delight, upon completion all my crows feet lines around my eyes were GONE.  It felt like Christmas morning and my birthday all at once.  I know I sound like I am saying all this to drum up business, but I assure you readers, this is not the case.  I am HOOKED on this process. My face is soft, sun spots are lighter and the extra eye lineage has been eradicated.  At the end of my shift, the Kontour manager told me that as long as my treatments were done during my lunch break and without disrupting client-paid appointments, I could repeat them until I get the final results I want. Are you kidding me??? Good karma has finally come back around for this 40 year old.

Throwing Confetti

A week ago I was crossing all appendages in anticipation of being selected for a new job. Well, I got it! I have officially completed a full week and have learned the basics of how their practice is run on a day to day basis. Several of my suggestions have been put into action already and the doctors seem to appreciate my input. The practice is run by a Mormon family and most of the staff is related on some level. They are very nice to their employees, both related and non related and seem to treat everyone fairly.  I am so appreciative of this opportunity and ready to do a great job... 

Sometimes GOOD things really DO happen to GOOD people!!!