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Survey Results and my IT’S STILL SUMMER Coastal Mantel

August 11, 2017 by Patti 23 Comments

One day, several years into our marriage, my husband exclaimed in exasperation, “I never knew you were so stubborn!”

What?  Half Finnish and half Irish (with a touch of English that my dad was reluctant to acknowledge – because that part of the family was “stuffy”) and the thought that I might be a wee bit stubborn had never crossed his mind?  Of course I’d long since realized that his German, Irish, whatever-else-ish self was terribly stubborn. 

 

Two stubborn people.  We’ve had our ups and downs to be sure. But our stubbornness, and the Lord’s work to restore what was broken within each of us, is what keeps us walking side-by-side through whatever new thing (good and not so good) comes our way.

“What,” you may say, “does that have to do with the title, Survey Results and my IT’S STILL SUMMER Coastal Mantel?”

It’s my stubborn resistance to pulling out the Fall decor as I cling tightly to the last remnants of Summer.  It is not even the middle of August yet y’all!  And this is the South where our Summer is only half over!

So while I tell you about the results of my first ever survey I’ll regale you with pictures of my Coastal Summer Mantel, dedicated to my mother-in-law who loved the Sea and who’s lovely painting of a lighthouse was the inspiration.

My first survey was so enlightening.  I put it together during a time of self-doubt, wondering if I should keep struggling with writing the book I’ve been plugging away at for so long, or give up on this writing journey completely.  You can read about that struggle here in The Day I Began Chasing Lions.  It was quite tempting to give it all up and enjoy a quiet life at home, puttering in my garden and moving chotchkes from one place to another, while watching Hallmark movies and eating bon-bons.

Well, maybe not so tempting after all, but writing is HARD y’all! 

With this survey I got a glimpse into who my audience is and what you want most from Old Things New:

  • 85% of you are female – YES I have some men here 🙂
  • 96% are in the 40+ age range (the younger ones are surely old souls)
  • 81% have completed higher education (Whew! My own “some college” status hasn’t scared you away)
  • 75% have some religious affiliation, while 2% do not (where are the other 23%?)
  • The tops things you want to see here are Home Decorating Tips (57.45%) and Christian Inspiration (54.25%).  This question allowed you to choose multiple categories and some of the other top categories were Decorating on a Budget, Seasonal Decorating (you’ll have to wait for Fall), Furniture painting, DIY, and Personal Stories.  Mr. OTN was pleased to hear that some of you want to see us doing more projects together 🙂
  • Most of you would like to see me post more often and none of you want me to post less (big sigh of relief).

In the space allowed for comments I was absolutely delighted to hear additional feedback and y’all have warmed my heart with the love you’ve poured out on me.  I wasn’t asking for affirmation but I certainly received it.  How can I not keep writing?

Based on the results of this survey this is what I’ve decided to do:

My current plan is to post twice a week (except for when I take blogging breaks).  You can expect Tuesdays to be something home related, such as house tours, seasonal decorating, vignettes, etc., and Fridays will be inspirational types of posts (Freedom Friday, personal stories, etc.)  This way I can meet the needs of those who want one or the other, and also meet the needs of those who like both.

Note:  If you are here strictly for home decorating, you might still want to pop in on Fridays because I don’t think I’m all that preachy and you might find something there that you’ll find helpful (wink-wink).

Another blogger friend has put in a special request for this upcoming Tuesday’s post, so I hope you’ll come back to see what I’ve been doing in my home. 

Hint: It involves a whole lotta’ paint!

Again, I want to say a HUGE thank you for taking the time to answer the questions in my survey.

Blessings y’all,

I’ve been known to link up to the following great parties!!!

Sunday:

SundaysAtHome, TheDIYShowoff, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, SilverPenniesSundays, RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays

Monday:

IShouldBeMoppingTheFloor, TheDedicatedHouse, Dwellings, ProjectInspired,  InspireMeMonday, BetweenNapsOnThePorch, CelebrateYourStory, What Joy is Mine/Monday Musings, Darling Downs Diaries, The Art of Homemaking, MomentsOfHope, Glimpses, SittingAmongFriends

Tuesday:

TalkOfTheTown, HomeStoriesAtoZ, AStrollThruLife, CoastalCharm, CedarHillFarmhouse, TuesdaysAtOurHome, TheWinthropChronicles,  Rich Faith Rising Unite Linky, Testimony Tuesday,Cheerleaders of Faith,Tell His Story

Wednesday:

SavvySouthernStyle, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesdays, Coffee for Your Heart, MessyMarriage, ThreeWordWednesday,  WriterWednesday

Thursday:

ShareYourStyle, ImpartingGrace, EmbracingChange, HaveADailyCupOfMrsOlson, MyRepurposedLife, ADelightsomeLife, KatherinesCorner,  Thought Provoking Thursday, SincerelyPaulas, ThoughtfulThursday, Tune-inThursday

Friday:

FrenchCountryCottage, TheCharmOfHome, TheDedicatedHouseAnythingBlueFriday, ShabbyliciousFriday, Sweet Inspiration,  Faith’nFriends, Missional Women Faith Filled Fridays, Dance With Jesus FreshMarketFriday

Saturday:

FunkyJunkInteriors, OneMoreTimeEvents,  SaturdaySparks, TheInspirationGallery, Make My Saturday Sweet

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Blogging, Coastal Style, My Home, Southern Living, Summer, The Beach Tagged With: Blogging, Coastal Style, Home Decorating, Mantels, southern living, Summer, The Beach

« Summer Blues (and Whites) with Rejoicing on the Side
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Comments

  1. Stacey says

    August 12, 2017 at 12:36 pm

    Patti, you are so gifted at decorating at making a home! I love how you’ve adapted to life in the south and agree with you that it’s still summer! Now about your preaching, you do it in a way that is welcoming and accepting….that’s how I like it. Keep going girl!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      August 12, 2017 at 9:26 pm

      Your words mean the world to me Stacey! You are a dear and I love you! Hugs 🙂

      Reply
  2. Sharon H says

    August 12, 2017 at 1:43 pm

    Can I just say…..”Yeah, …..What Stacey just said….” Lol, I’m up for whatever you throw at us, Miz Patti! And it’s still Summer here in the Midwest, in spite of all the rain we’ve been having. Thanks for sharing the results of the survey, and I’m not the least surprised at what you learned. Muah my friend.

    Reply
    • Sharon H says

      August 12, 2017 at 1:45 pm

      OH yeah, and I can just imagine you watching Hallmark movies and eating Bon-Bons, with curlers in your hair and your feet propped up….whatever!

      Reply
      • Patti says

        August 12, 2017 at 9:31 pm

        Hahaha! Maybe for one day. Or two. Any more than that and I’d go stir crazy!

        Reply
    • Patti says

      August 12, 2017 at 9:28 pm

      Ahhh, you are the best sweet friend. The BEST! I could hear your voice loud in clear in the survey comments 😉

      Reply
  3. Danice G says

    August 14, 2017 at 6:41 am

    Beautiful mantel and decor. Yes, we do so enjoy reading your blog. Keep up the awesome writing!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      August 14, 2017 at 7:11 pm

      Ahhh, thank you so much Danice. This makes me so happy. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Carla Eskridge says

    August 14, 2017 at 10:25 am

    Just found your site. Thanks for the inspiration to step into what has been on the back burner for far too long. Now, if I can just think of the perfect blog name.

    Reply
    • Patti says

      August 14, 2017 at 7:16 pm

      That’s great that you are ready to step into the blogging world Carla! As for a blog name, I have a suggestion for you. In writing my book I wanted a good name for a coffee shop and when I Googled “Good names for coffee shops” you wouldn’t believe how many great names popped up. I’ll bet you could find something for your blog too, by typing in the theme of what you’ll be writing about. Google is my friend. Blessings in your new adventure!

      Reply
  5. Lisa notes... says

    August 14, 2017 at 10:43 am

    I definitely have my fair share of stubbornness too. Sigh. Sometimes it comes in handy, but often times it’s just a nuisance to those around me. ha. Thanks for sharing your survey results. It’s always interesting to find out our fellow readers!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      August 14, 2017 at 7:21 pm

      You stubborn Lisa? LOL! It can be a positive trait in many ways as I’m sure you know. 😉

      Reply
  6. Shelley says

    August 14, 2017 at 9:24 pm

    I just found your site, and I absolutely love your mantel! I am not ready for fall yet either, especially since I live in Wisconsin with short summers and long winters. I’m going to hold on stubbornly to summer no matter what everyone else is doing. What a beautiful lighthouse painting that is!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      August 15, 2017 at 8:32 am

      Hi Shelley. I’m so glad you found my website. Thank you for the compliment on my mantel and the painting. My mother-in-law painted it when she was 17-years-old and it is something I treasure. As for stubbornly holding on to summer, you go girlfriend! Let’s enjoy it as much as we can for as long as we can. I do hope you’ll come visit me again.

      Reply
  7. Pinky says

    August 15, 2017 at 9:43 am

    I missed the survey but have to say, I love to see home decorating but ANYTHING is good with me! I LOOOOVE that cloche! I also love how you filled it! have a beautiful day!

    Reply
  8. Barbie says

    August 17, 2017 at 12:35 am

    You truly do have a gift in making your home beautiful. I look forward to reading all that you post. Blessings!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      August 17, 2017 at 2:41 pm

      That is a beautiful compliment Barbie. I appreciate you so much. You my friend, have a gift for spreading beauty from your heart <3

      Reply
  9. Jann Olson says

    August 20, 2017 at 12:13 am

    Hi Patti, love your coastal mantle! A bit of stubbornness is not too bad. 🙂 I don’t decorate for fall until Sept. However, because of my scheduled surgery Friday I may pull it out Weds. It would be nice to have something new to enjoy while recovering. 🙂 Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

    Reply
  10. Susan @ Under the Butternut Tree says

    August 20, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    I found your blog through the Bouquet of Talent link party where yours was one of the most visited links. Congratulations! I’ll be back!

    Reply
  11. Cindy says

    August 20, 2017 at 3:33 pm

    Love your coastal mantle Patti and I enjoy all you share…you are one gifted lady!
    Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

    Reply
    • Patti says

      August 24, 2017 at 8:14 am

      That is such a huge compliment coming from you Cindy. Thank you so very much.

      Reply
  12. Sherry says

    August 23, 2017 at 9:43 am

    So pretty Patti! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      August 24, 2017 at 8:36 am

      Thank you Sherry. I always love coming over to your party.

      Reply

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Welcome! I am Perfectly Imperfect Patti and I’d like to invite you to come in and take a seat in this creative space of mine.

I love the process of hunting for orphaned and cast off furniture (particularly my Chosen Chairs) and then taking the time to transform each piece into something new and beautiful. This process allows me to reflect upon my own story of transformation and blesses me over and over with each piece I redesign.

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It wasn’t until a few years back that I realized a “hidden message” in the film. Linus, a child who seems to have some insecurities as he carries a security blanket with him at all times. In fact, Linus NEVER drops his blanket, except once....

While sharing the message of “what Christmas is all about,” Linus drops his blanket at the exact moment he says the words, “fear not!”

In this seemingly innocent moment, Linus delivers a powerful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. We are to “fear not”, for Jesus is born. We needn’t rely on material things for security, we have God with us, “Immanuel”, (Matthew 1:23) Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior - the true meaning of Christmas.

Awhile back, someone informed me, indignantly so, that Linus picks up his blanket at the end of the speech so my interpretation must be wrong. Well, he was right, Linus does pick up his blanket at the end of his speech. However, he “drops” it again later... 

Amid big, bright, colorful, shiny artificial trees, Charlie Brown chose the least of these, a little, wooden tree with just a few branches. Shortly thereafter, Linus uses his blanket to wrap about the base of the tree and says, “Maybe it just needs a little love”. In that moment, the tree “awakens”, stands tall and firm. A reminder that no matter who we are, how many mistakes we’ve made, a “little love” can make all the difference.

Let’s strive to “fear not” (Luke 2:10) and “love one another” (John 13:34), not just at Christmastime, but the whole year through.”

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