Old Things New

TRANSFORMED, from broken to beautiful

Navigation

Bookcases Going Green for Spring!

by 21 Comments

I love going on vacation this time of year because when you come home after only a week away there are so many changes.  The temperatures have warmed by 10 degrees, the swelling buds on the trees have begun to explode into flowers, the sun shines brighter, and the birds chirp louder . . . or so it seems.

Bookcases Going Green Overlay

I enjoy changing out the bookcases in our den with the Seasons.

Bookcases Going Green 003

Since Spring is about to burst forth I’ve added a lot of green accents.

Bookcases Going Green 004

Bookcases Going Green 006

All reflected in mirrors collected from various thrift stores and from around the house (you can read all about my Brilliant Mirrored Bookcases right HERE).

Bookcases Going Green 020

Bookcases Going Green 019

Bookcases Going Green 008

Bookcases Going Green 015

Bookcases Going Green 016

With St. Paddy’s Day right around the corner my little leprechauns have joined in the fun.

Bookcases Going Green 012

This little guy reminds me of my father who felt so strongly tied to his Irish roots.

Bookcases Going Green 009

Bookcases Going Green 011

I think it’s pretty great of Mr. OTN to let me rummage through his office for books of green.

Bookcases Going Green 001

This is his favorite room to relax in after a long day at work and he actually takes great delight in my making it a comfortable place for him to come home to.

Bookcases Going Green 018

Do you have a favorite room?  The rooms that we spend the most time in can become kind of messy and neglected but I believe it’s important to take care to make these rooms as welcoming as any other part of the home.  These spaces can be real sanctuaries, places of escape from the outside world.  

Is the weather becoming Springlike yet where you live?  Have you begun any Spring cleaning or Spring decorating?  Sometimes we just have to start the ball rolling and wait for the weather to follow!

Almost Spring blessings to you my friends 😉

My Signature

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

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

Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:

Happy St. Patti’s Day!

by 8 Comments

Saint Patti’s Day
That is what my parents always called St. Patrick’s Day when I was a child.  No wonder it felt like such a special day and that I felt so closely tied to my Irish heritage. Even though I am an American mongrel and have more Finnish blood than anything else, I loved having a day named just for me. This was just one of the ways my parents made me feel special.
My parents are both gone now but this little guy always reminds me of my dad. A tradition that began once my parents had grandchildren was for each grandchild to receive their very own leprechaun from my father. He waited until they were old enough to understand and then he gave them their leprechaun with a secret name. The name was never to be told to anyone else and known only to each individual grandchild and their Poppy.
 I am the baby in a family that was spread out over many years so my own youngest child was only an infant when her Poppy died. He didn’t forget her though and when she was old enough my mother gave her the leprechaun that was set aside just for her.   My girls still remember the names of their leprechauns and they still hold their secret names to themselves. What a wonderful tie to their Poppy and their Irish heritage.
I was having tea with a friend this week and we came across this tea from Ireland that I simply couldn’t pass up.  I still have both of my in-laws and since my mother-in-law is Irish and loves tea I had to buy this as a gift for her. Gift of the Gab! What a great name for a tea shared with a few women.
And here is a little Irish gal that I printed from The Graphics Fairy to add to my St. Patti’s Day decor.
Her eyes are green just like mine! That was another thing that made me feel especially Irish as a child.
No matter what your heritage St. Patrick’s Day is a day for the wearin’ o’ the green (unless you’d like a good pinch).
I’ll be cooking a traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage and  enjoying the feeling of having had parents that loved me so much that they named a day of the year just for me!
May the road rise to meet you,
may the wind be ever at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of his hand.
    Blessings,
Linked to the following parties:

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

Your Blog