This and That

Do you ever open up your blog to write a post and nothing comes out?

This has kind of been one of those weeks for me...it's weird.

Oh, it's not that nothing has been going on...in fact, I've been quite busy.
Maybe that alone is the problem.

I've been working on a couple of redo projects for the past couple of weekends

and they both about kicked my butt!

So that's pretty much why I've been neglecting away from blogging this week.

I didn't really want to take the time to blog during the make-overs

so I will just show you a couple of photos...well, maybe more than a couple :)
~
First up, I painted my already white-washed fireplace bricks to solid white.
I've never been happy with the wall color against the previous paint job.



The original dark brown bricks looked gray after I white-washed them a few years ago
 and I didn't think the two tones went together well.

I like this much better...

...and painting the fireplace was way easier than having to paint the whole room!
By this weekend, I hope to have it all decorated with pumpkins and leaves!
Bring on the fall decor!!
~
Next on my to-do list was to give a face lift to the hall bathroom.
Now, just so you know, I am still a fan of wallpaper, yes, that's right...
...and this bathroom has had about four different patterns on it in the past 24 years.
So on Labor Day, I was laboring hard, getting this done.

 I heard that wallpaper is making a come-back, although it never really went out of style for me.
GOOD.....that means I'll be on the cutting edge...again!
(hehe....cutting edge....get it???)
I love the look, the feel and even the smell of it.
So off with the old and on with the new!

Actually, I have had this "new" wallpaper in my closet for several years.
I think I paid $2.00 a roll...it was in a clearance bin at Lowe's...there were four rolls,
which happened to be just the amount needed to paper this room.
The bathroom is not big but the paper had a 24" pattern repeat...
...that means lots of wasted paper.
Why do they do that??



So here's the finished room...old school and traditional?
Yes, that's me!
And if the Lord is in agreement with our retirement plans,
this will be the last time I ever paper this room as long as I live...
...there is one tiny corner between the sink and the wall that is a bear to get to!

Now I am just trying to decide which lampshade.
This one...



...or this one...both Goodwill finds.
I'm leaning towards the red one...maybe :)
~
So now that I got these two projects out of the way,
and believe me, there are many more where those came from,
I am counting the hours for next Tuesday to get here.
My sister (next to me in the birth order) from Ohio is flying down...
...her first flight, I might add,
and just the two of us girls will be heading to the beach for a long weekend!
She's coming to help me celebrate my birthday next Thursday.
We've been planning this for nearly a year and just I'm so excited!
That will be another post for another day :)
~
The weather here has been totally glorious the past several days...
...cool in the mornings and evenings and gentle breezes during the day.
As I walked out onto the front porch yesterday morning,
the sun peeking through the woods filtered the light on the ferns in the most beautiful way.

I grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots.
The vivid greens will soon be replaced by oranges, reds and golds
It won't be long now.

Let's see...I think that's about it for this week.
Oh wait...one more thing...
...I had the joy of getting my long overdue colonoscopy last Friday.

These were waiting on me when I got home :)

What better reason is there to deserve flowers?
~
Well, I guess that's pretty much it for now.
For someone who didn't have much of anything to say,
I sure said a bunch! :D
 

Playing with Light (or the lack thereof)

 pho·tog·ra·pher

fəˈtäɡrəfər/

noun

noun: photographer; plural noun: photographers

a person who takes photographs, especially as a job.

~

I don't consider myself to be a photographer,

but according to Merriam Webster, I do fit the first part of the definition...

...a person who takes photographs, as most of us bloggers do.

And yes, there are some of you who do officially fit the whole definition

 because you either take photos for a living and/or get paid for your work.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's the photographer in me (and again I use that term loosely)

that notices how the light plays on certain objects at certain times of the day.

No matter what I'm doing, it makes me want to run and get my camera.

The evening sun sets through the woods in the backyard and when it's in that golden stage...

 

...it sets the leaves aglow, creating the most beautiful effects.

And as the sun continues to sink lower in the sky, the rays seem to set the woods on fire.

I have been waiting for this pink knock-out rose to bloom so I could distinguish it from the others.

I had bought several small ones with no blooms and failed to mark them according to color.

It opened up during a rainy night and I snapped these on the dark, dreary morning after.

I was using a manual setting so I could adjust the light due to the lack of sunshine.

This is the same bloom a few hours later.

As I said, it had rained the night before,

 leaving everything covered with little water droplets.

Have I told you how much I love little water droplets?? :)

I thought so.

So it sounds as though the sunshine will be absent for the rest of the week around here.
I love little water drops but enough is enough.
And I have seen that a few of my northern friends are still getting some snow!
Come on, now!
~
But it is what it is...May...and I guess anything goes.
And so, my fellow photographers, enjoy your week and go out and find your light,
be it rain or shine...or even snow :)

Give Me Jesus

This is an edited and re-titled version of an early post, shortly after I started my blog.

I actually had to go back and re-read it because I needed the message for myself. 

The past few days have been pretty emotionally draining for me...

...a little family drama.

But God is good and He's already working on it!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

Psalm 5:3


Morning. Even before the sun makes it's way above the horizon and shows it's face...

...it is my favorite time of the day. 

It's the only time of the day when everything is new.

A fresh start.
A new beginning.

How many times have you gone to bed with a heavy burden on your heart?

Maybe even cried yourself to sleep?

Your world seems to be crashing in around you and the answers you need just don't come.

You pray for peace.

You awaken when it's still dark...
...just the way it was when you finally were able to restlessly drift off...

...with the tears on your pillow.

But there's just something about the morning.

Somehow, something seems different.

Somehow, even though you know that the burden is still there,

it doesn't seem quite as heavy.

Something has changed.

Your spirit seems brighter...your countenance, more peaceful.

There seems to be hope now.

What happened while you were sleeping?
How did things change during the night?



Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

Jesus came to you while you were sleeping.
That is what happened.

Sharing here:

Living from Glory to Glory
Sharing His Beauty
Grace at Home
Spiritual Sundays

Resting in the Son

This is Oscar.

He loves lying around, resting in the sunshine.

He will find the smallest little rays of the warm, bright light...

 ...as it filters through the windows in the early part of the day.

He moves when the sun moves.

He finds his comfort resting in the the sun.

As for me, I find my comfort resting in the Son.

I found this old-hymn-made-new on YouTube.

It was written in way back in 1876 by Jean S. Pigott.

You may know it...I hadn't heard it before.

It speaks to my heart...and to where I find my rest...

...in the Son, Jesus.

Click on the play button to hear this beautiful old hymn, sung by Steve Green.

I think it will bless your heart too.

Ever lift Thy face upon me, as I work and wait for Thee;
Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus, earth's dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father's glory, sunshine of my Father's face
Keep me ever trusting, resting, fill me with thy grace.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ~ Matthew  11:28

I hope you find your place of rest this week, my friends!
Blessings,

Sharing with:

http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/2014/02/welcome-back_21.html
http://myfreshlybrewedlife.com/2014/02/making-art-for-his-glory.html
http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/2014/02/amaze-me-monday-47.html
http://whatjoyismine.net/mondays-musings-101-march-madness/#sthash.SJKLXkiq.dpbs
http://www.thebeautyinhisgrip.com/
http://www.create-with-joy.com/2014/02/inspire-me-monday-week-112.html
http://sundayview.blogspot.com/2014/02/porcelain-doll-tag-and-inspired-sunday.html