Treasure Hunting Anyone……..?

I have really been having a good time finding things to purchase for my daughters' apartment.  She will be starting her second year of college (no dorm rooms available), so we found her a cute little apartment, close to campus. However, we need to furnish it??  This is our second child in college, so let’s just say the funds are a little….tight??
The first Goodwill find was this old basket.  I think it is a picnic or market basket, with a hinged lid.(Cost: $10.99)  I was thinking she could use it to store things in and yet still be decorative. Does anyone know what kind of basket it is??



I was getting a little discouraged, when I turned around and looked at the floor.  There on floor, underneath a sewing cabinet, were these quirky looking lamps. I thought they would go perfect with the retro look of my daughters’ bedroom.  I bent down and picked one up and the price was only $6.99 ea., with the shade. I believe they may be milk glass?? Does anyone know how to tell??
I
I was still on the hunt for another lamp for the living room or spare bedroom.  My mind was thinking of something tall, with glass and gold.  What are the chances that I would find something like that without spending a pretty penny. Well, God does listen even to those little things
I walked to the front of the store, got in line to check out and what did I see…….

This pretty little thing, just sitting there as pretty as could be. I know she doesn’t have a shade, but she has all the right bones to be a beauty. I couldn’t believe the cost was only $2.99 (as is). so I ask for a light bulb, plugged her in.and Ta Da she worked. 
Well, so far we are off to a good start for the apartment treasure hunt.
Do you have any advice to share on finding wonderful treasures?
I hope you come back and see what else I have found on my new adventure…….
Blessings,
Chrissy

Have you ever wondered................???

Lately, I have been wondering where I am personally and how I got here???  I know probably no else has ever been in this place, in their life, but I thought I would ask anyway :). 
These are my wonderings lately:

• Did you ever have a passion and then it just fizzled?
• Do you wonder where your kids were raised (because they don't act anything like you ;)?
• Why you all of a sudden let small things paralyze you?
• Could this REALLY be the onset of menopause (getting close to 50, you know)??
• How do I feel spiritually drier then I was 25 years ago????

Well, the past 9 days have been quite the soul searching experience for me! My husband is on an international trip. So when I am left to my own thoughts, WATCH OUT!! It can either be good or not sooo good.  Let’s just say the first couple days were NOT sooo good.

Everything in my mind became amplified!! That is putting it mildly?? My son's health is in need of supervision. My daughter is fretting over money for college.  My dad is in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's.  My mom is way more of an anxious Nelly than I am??? Blah, Blah, Blah……..

What I have come to find out, is that that word anxiety, is just a nice word for FEAR.  I mean come on I have never really been a fearful person.  I use to like change and excitement, be fun loving and free.   So how did this thing called "fear" creep into my life.  I will tell you how.   Little by little, and I let it in.!?! Can you believe that?  I can't!  I always thought of myself to be a “diligent” prayer warrior and always on the lookout for things that try to sidetrack me? 

Guess what?  I have news for you.  All it takes is a tiny, tiny little crack for something to get in when you least expect it. The sad part is, is that I isolated myself from the people that could have supported me, because I thought they would feel I was “weak”?? How ridiculous is that? However, I believe we all do it. (I could be wrong though).  ;)

The small crack I am talking about is........ That I let that small phrase "what if" enter my mind?? Now it is only two tiny words, but they can pack a powerful punch, let me tell you.  It can make you start to doubt everything.  Once the doubt starts, unless you catch it, can take on a "whole" life of its own.

 For instance:

"What if I am not good enough for that job?"
"What if  no one reads my blogs?"
"What if someone criticizes me?"
"What if I fail at ..............???

Do you see where I am coming from??? Oh how I have let these thought so bombard me that I came to the point of wondering, "Why am I here?" 

Well, I had an epiphany this morning!  I am here because God created me in my mothers' womb. He has great plans in store for me! I just need to get past the "what if'" in life and GO FOR IT!!!

So if there is anyone else out there that has ever felt or is feeling this way?  There are great things for you to do in this life. Don't be intimidated! Don't let fear paralyze you! Get up and walk, take back your ground and defend it!! We are more than conquerors!!

Feel free to leave an encouraging comment for me and others :)

Have a Blessed day,

 Chrissy

Are you ready for this........

Are you tired of the winter weather and ready to see some sunshine and flowers?  I sure am ready.... for at least some sunshine and warmer temps, the flowers will come soon after :)  I was looking through my photos from last years vacation to Charleston, SC and came across this photo.  My whole body just sighed an Ahhhhh.... Isn't it amazing how a photo can make you feel better?

It sure does feel and look alot better than this.....

 

 

Hopefully, more sunshine by the end of the week, Yeah!!!

 

 

If you would like some great spring inspiration, go check out Lucy at the http://www.craftberrybush.com/

Lucy also has a great giveaway going on until April 1st.

 

Counting down until Spring,

Chrissy

What the heck is going on????

How can it be we are already heading into Sping 2013?

It sure doesn't feel or look like spring to me, how about you?  I definitely think I have a case of cabin fever.  I have to admit it hasn't been a harsh winter, but it has been an annoying winter, alittle snow and ice here and alittle there. The storms have just been of the nuisance kind.

While I am speaking of a nuisance, has anyone ever had a backache that just will not go away?  I have had one since January this year, oh what a pain LOL.  No it is not really funny, but sometimes it is good to laugh. "Laughter is medicine for the soul", so they say. I have heard you notice your age by all the little aches and pains, but this is ridiculous.

Here are a few of my companions lately:

 

 

BIOFREEZE, it used to be my go to for a pain here or there, but lately it is right by my side.  I don't know if it heals anything, however it makes the pain feel better at the moment.

 

My  next companion sticks to me like glue, Absorbine Patches, (I know I crack you up right :)). These patches are supposed to work up to 8 hrs, I wear them when I go to work and somtimes to bed.  Again, I know you are probably thinking, "these things don't work, they are just topical."  All I know is it does make the pain less excruciating.  It probably the cooling sensation, that makes my mind go ahhhh!

 

 

I was also wearing a back brace to help to stand up, because I could barely walk without the brace.

I have also been to my Rhuematologist., he gave me a strong anti-inflammatory, Prednisone and Tramadol. He did say there was swelling in the sacral area.  He also said I could see a Chiropractor, which when I first went I couldn't even lay down on the table.  He helped me to lay down on my stomach and adusted the sacral area and said there was swelling.  Well, long story short, the swelling is down, but the left side of my back is still hurting and going down my leg. I may have to bite the bullet and get an MRI?? 

 

I have come to the conclusion that; a backache is like a migraine, unless you experience one you have no idea what it is like!

 

The morale of the story is time passes so quickly that you should take every moment and find a reason to be thankful and joyful.  Our lives really are just like a vapor in the wind, we could be here today and gone tomorrow.  This my friends is the lesson I have learned from this passage of time.

 

So here we are getting ready to enter into the Spring of 2013.  May the rest of  2013 bring Joy, Peace and Health to all of us.

 

Blessings to you,

Chrissy

 

 

 

Things that make you go Hmmmmm?

Have you have started a project, then stood back and thought something is missing? So you continue with what you are thinking it will end up like, but when you look at it you just go Hmmm?

Well this is how I feel about my kitchen cabinets at the moment.  Do you remember I started with this:

I primed and painted, the outcome was this option:

 

But it was just too white for my kitchen, plus my family would have it dirty in no time.

So, I decided after much debate to glaze them, using a translucent mocha glaze.

 

 

The glaze is thin and does not dry quickly, so you have time to work with it.  You can either leave it on or wipe off as much as you like.

 

After debating I decided to wipe some off and then put it back heavy is other areas? I also still need to wax or poly the whole thing. 

 

 

So, now after a deciding how heavy of a look I wanted, I have come up with :

 

 

This does not seem to be a very good photo, the top two single shots give you a better look. It is hard to get the lighting set in my house .

 

However, there is still something missing?? I know the hardware may be silver or bronze.

 

What would you think of making in look like furniture, with feet on the front?

What about the end, you see this as soon as you come in the door, wainscoting maybe?

 

 

Thanks so much for all of your encouraging comments and inspiring ideas.

 

Chrissy

 

I am joining the following parties this week:

 

French Country Cottage and Feathering your nest http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2012/10/feathered-nest-friday.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FQoLtm+%28FRENCH+COUNTRY+COTTAGE%29 

 

It's Overflowing and Overflowing with

http://www.itsoverflowing.com/2012/10/overflowing-with-creativity-22/

 

 

A Countryside in Italy

Just going through some photos and found this one from my trip to Italy. I thought I would share it you all.

Well, the  photo doesn't do the area the justice it deserves, but you get the idea.  I definitely need to figure out a photo editor.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day,
Chrissy

Wow, what a project???

Did you ever start something and know you can't turn back? Not that I don't like the paint, mind you, it is the time it takes to do the project. Kudos, go out to you bloggers/DIYer's that paint :)

Let me remind you what what I started with:

Not that is all that bad, I just wanted to lighten up the kitchen and I always wanted white glazed cabinets. So with my husband's okay and his help, we took off all the doors and primed the cabinets.
I ended up with this, not exactly what I was envisioning. My husband encouraged be to keep going.

So I went a retrieved a cabinet foam roller and tray from my supplies. The paint color I ended up using was Light Raffia, by Valspar.  It still needed to brush the all crevices, but the roller seemed to cover much better. Although I can still see some small brush marks, it turned pretty good.
So for the past few days, these are the cabinets that now stare at me to be finished.

I now want to glaze them, because in my kitchen they will get dirty quickly if they stay white?? However, I cannot decide whether to use the American Traditions Translucent Glazes I have used on other projects or to use wood stain. 

What do you think?  Also is there is special way to do wood staining?

Thanks so much for all of your inspiration and help.  I never thought this would be so stressful on my little old mind ;)

 I am joining the following :
The Make it Pretty Monday party. http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2012/09/make-it-pretty-monday-week-16.html
The Newbie Party at Debbiedoo's.  http://debbie-debbiedoos.com/fall-mantel-decor.html

Have a great week,
Chrissy