TRANSFORMED, from broken to beautiful
Since I typed the last word and hit publish on my Write 31 Days series in October life has been a whirlwind, and I haven’t been back once to work on another blog post. Why? Number one, writing for 31 days straight was exhausting and a lot more demanding than I thought it would be. Number 2, November was a month of hosting friends and family in our home which meant a lot of local sightseeing, including trips to the beach and the mountains.
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Now that we are halfway through June, I guess it’s time to share What I Learned in May. I actually had company most of the first part of this month and we’ve been vacationing together in places where my Internet was sooooo . . . slow that I gave up and decided to wait until I was home sweet home again 🙂
May began with some great news which quickly turned into some very surprising news about the new pup we had been hoping for, waiting for, longing for . . . especially the hubs, who is the biggest lover of cute puppies I know!
The news? Danny, the name the host family had given our new puppy, would be ready to come home with us the first Saturday of the month. Hooray!!!
We had plans to rename Danny of course, as that was the temporary kennel name, and the name we had chosen was Charlie, in memory of my dear Irish daddy. It was love at first sight when we saw this photo of our soon-to-be pup.
Then came the surprise!
The night before we were to pick up our little Danny/Charlie, the breeder (Best Goldendoodles) left an urgent message on our recorder saying that Danny with a “y” was actually Danni with an “i”. Yes, our boy pup was suddenly a girl! What???
This breeder places all his mama dogs in host homes where they are hand raised with families instead of in kennels. The host family had named all the pups and the breeder assumed that Danny was a boy by the spelling of the name. He apologized profusely and offered to let us back out of the deal, or to take the little girl at the price he would normally charge for a male. You see, female dogs are usually more expensive than male dogs. 😉
What did we do when we learned that Danny was Danni? Are you kidding me? How could we pass on a sweet face like this? So Danny, who’d become Charlie, became CharliGirl.
And she has planted her little puppy self firmly in our hearts.
Sasha wasn’t sure about this little fluff ball when we brought her home but she has grown quite fond of her as well.
The month of May was perfect. Warm days and pleasant nights, with plenty of rain to cause all the flora and fauna to burst with new life.
As my plants began to wake up I was happy to see many of the plants that I’d previously planted thriving, but, because of the drought last Summer, some of my plants didn’t pull through.
Those that I planted two years ago though, seemed to come back better than ever.
I learned, from talking to the locals, that it generally takes about 3 years for plants to get a strong foothold in the red clay dirt of Upstate SC.
I also learned that Charli is a photo bomber. She seems to know what I’m doing when I pick up the camera and takes every opportunity to jump into the picture. I have a feeling you’ll be hearing a lot more from this little girl.
During the month of May I got to travel to Winston-Salem, NC to spend a few days with some other writer friends, Holly Barrett, Mary Geisen, and Debbie Kitterman. These are dear friends I’ve previously traveled with, done a Podcast with, and with whom I recently collaborated on a series about Perseverance.
This is Holly’s screened porch where the four of us spent hours in hours in deep conversation (and eating food of course).
When I knew we were going to Holly’s I asked if we would meet her mom Rachel Solomon, who is a bit of a celebrity. She has several U-Tube videos at GrayHairTalking.com, and two books she has co-authored with Holly.
NOTE: You can purchase Rachel and Holly’s books by clicking on the pictures below. If you make a purchase from my site I receive a small commission but it does not make the cost of the book any more expensive to you.
A 30-day devotional
And a 12-week video driven group Bible study
Upon meeting Rachel I learned that not only is she a woman of wisdom but she is pretty darn cute too. Crisp blue jeans, a flowy flowered vest over a white shirt, a trendy bob and red lipstick. It was a delight to share a meal with her and her hubby Tal.
Holly’s home is on the property of Crossnore School & Children’s Home.
I learned that their mission is to grow healthy futures for children and families by providing a Christian sanctuary of hope and healing. They do that by offering residential homes on campus for children in foster care, community-based foster care and adoptions, educational services, and therapeutic services.
I also learned that Crossnore has a working farm . . .
. . . with a sweet Farm Store where they sell a variety of gifts and home grown goodies.
I was especially attracted to this old cabinet with its great patina but it wasn’t for sale! Reminder to me: Pin this to my Furniture Painting Ideas board on Pinterest.
While at Holly’s, Holly, Debbie and I visited Old Salem which is a village settled by the Moravian Church. Many of the original shops and homes are still in place. It was fun to see people dressed in period costume and working in the shops. They were so much in character that at times it was hard to tell if they were employees in costume or if they really lived and worked there.
Warning: About a gazillion pictures follow. If you like pictures, great. Otherwise breeze on through to my final May moment, which was a real treat!
I learned about the Moravians at every stop along the way but I won’t make this post longer than it already is by sharing that with you today.
And last, one of the highlights of my trip, the chance to meet a much admired blogger friend face-to-face. Richella Parham of Imparting Grace is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. I learned that not only is she as wonderful as I always suspected she was, but she’s written a book, and she brought along a copy for each of us.
Click on the picture for ordering information.
This book, A Spiritual Formation Primer explains the disciplines and attitudes of becoming more Christ-like. I’m sure that Christ followers of all degrees of maturity would benefit from reading this book and I’ve added it to my own Summer reading list!
Well folks, that’s all for May. I learned quite a lot, which is good, because learning helps keep one’s brain young. At my age I need as much help as I can get!
Upward and onward, into the lazy days of Summer!
Blessings friends,
I’ve been known to link up to the following great parties!!!
Sunday:
TheDIYShowoff, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, SilverPenniesSundays, RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays, GiveMeGrace
Monday:
IShouldBeMoppingTheFloor, TheDedicatedHouse, Dwellings, ProjectInspired, InspireMeMonday, BetweenNapsOnThePorch, CelebrateYourStory, Making Your Home Sing Mondays, What Joy is Mine/Monday Musings, Darling Downs Diaries, The Art of Homemaking, SmallWonder, 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, Posed Perfection, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesdays, ChristianBloggerLinkup, Mom’s Morning Coffee, Women with Intention, Coffee for Your Heart, MessyMarriage, ThreeWordWednesday
Thursday:
ShareYourStyle, ImpartingGrace, EmbracingChange, HaveADailyCupOfMrsOlson, MyRepurposedLife, ADelightsomeLife, KatherinesCorner, I Choose Joy, Thought Provoking Thursday, SincerelyPaulas, ThankfulThursdays, ThoughtfulThursday, Tune-inThursday
Friday:
FrenchCountryCottage, TheCharmOfHome, RootedInThyme, TheDedicatedHouseAnythingBlueFriday, ShabbyliciousFriday, Sweet Inspiration, Faith’nFriends, Missional Women Faith Filled Fridays, Dance With Jesus FreshMarketFriday
Saturday:
FunkyJunkInteriors, OneMoreTimeEvents, SaturdaySparks, TheInspirationGallery, Make My Saturday Sweet
It may not seem like I'm accomplishing anything, but I'm always working on something! Click To Tweet
It has been a whole loooonnnng month since I last posted here on the blog. I never intended to let it go this long but, well, a lot has been happening behind the scenes and I had to let something go.
So here is my review of What I Learned in March and a promise that April will see more activity on the blog.
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It seems like I haven’t been here to chat with y’all in forever and yet, the time has flown plumb away! Did you catch that? “Plumb away.” I’m sounding right Southern y’all.
I’m enjoying my blogging break, trying to take time to fully breathe and take in my surroundings instead of constantly rushing to the “next thing.” I find it hard . . . to be still, to rest, to wait. Mr. OTN is fond of saying, “Just do the next right thing.” Sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what that is. Right now, it is continuing to write for myself. One day that writing for myself may be shared here with you. I hope so.
In the meantime, here are a few things I learned in the month of October:
I learned that patio courtyards take a long time to construct. I had no idea what all went into a project like this!
I learned that choosing colors for this house is nothing like choosing colors for my old house. We have a lot more shade here and the colors I put on these walls look totally different than in a light filled home. If you are following me in Instagram you’ll know that I’ve been painting from room-to-room. It is such a good feeling to make everything new and fresh.
I learned that though the “greige” color I previously painted in my living room was nice it wasn’t right for me. Every time I looked in this room I felt like something was missing, so I spent a lot of time moving things here and there and still . . . it was lacking something. COLOR! I learned that color makes me happy as I finally chose and painted Benjamin Moore’s Beach Glass on my living room walls. I am at peace 😉
In a trip back to Washington State I learned that staying in the guest cottage we once owned feels strange. Wonderful but strange. Knowing that we gutted and restored nearly every surface of this cottage made me feel proud and happy, but also made me wonder why we’d never spent the night here when it belonged to us. I’m thankful to our friends John and Debbie who bought our old house and let us come back again for a visit.
I learned that going through my in-laws pictures can be fun as I came across Mr. OTN’s high school graduation picture. How young he looks here. Cute too. I wonder if we would’ve dated each other if we’d met in High School. 🙂
I learned, as we’ve been taking regular day trips into the mountains this Fall, that one can find the most amazing treasures in the most out-of-the-way places. I also learned that when we are driving down the highway at high speed and I yell, “Stop!,” Mr. OTN is a very good sport, even when he has his own destination in mind and limited time to get there. He is so good to me. I do think I would have dated him in high school.
I learned that by stopping to explore these fun out-of-the-way places it is almost impossible to refrain from picking up a little something. Stay tuned for the project we are working on together.
I learned that sometimes the most amazing and colorful sights are found in complete darkness as we chanced upon and toured Linville Caverns in North Carolina.
I learned that some of the best birthday presents are those I buy for myself, a whole month early. I know, right?
I learned that sometimes contractors aren’t as quick as I’d like them to be. The patio project progresses . . .
Finally, with all of the traveling and exploring we’ve done this past month I learned that some of the greatest beauty lies right down the street from home. The colors of Fall are gorgeous here in my neighborhood!
I hope and pray that no matter what is going on in your world, you will take the time to stop and feed your soul by capturing moments of beauty around you. They are everywhere if you’ll only take the time to see.
Blessings dear ones,
I’ve been known to link up to the following great parties!!!
Sunday:
TheDIYShowoff, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, SilverPenniesSundays, SundaysAtHome, RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays, GiveMeGrace
Monday:
IShouldBeMoppingTheFloor, TheDedicatedHouse, Dwellings, ProjectInspired, InspireMeMonday, BetweenNapsOnThePorch, CelebrateYourStoryMaking Your Home Sing Mondays, The Beauty in His Grip What Joy is Mine/Monday Musings, Darling Downs Diaries, The Art of Homemaking,SmallWonder, LifeGivingLinkup, MomentsOfHope, Glimpses, SittingAmongFriends
Tuesday:
TalkOfTheTown, HomeStoriesAtoZ, AStrollThruLife, CoastalCharm, CozyLittleHouse, CedarHillFarmhouse, KatheWithAnE,TuesdaysAtOurHome, TheWinthropChronicles, Rich Faith Rising Unite Linky, Testimony Tuesday,Cheerleaders of Faith,Tell His Story, IntentionalTuesday
Wednesday:
SavvySouthernStyle, TheBlissfulBee, Posed Perfection, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesdays, ChristianBloggerLinkup, Whole Hearted Home, Mom’s Morning Coffee, Women with Intention, Coffee for Your Heart, MessyMarriage, ThreeWordWednesday
Thursday:
ShareYourStyle, ImpartingGrace, EmbracingChange, HaveADailyCupOfMrsOlson, MyRepurposedLife, ADelightsomeLife, KatherinesCorner, PrettyPreppyParty, The Deliberate Mom/Shine Blog Hop, I Choose Joy, Live Free Thursday, Thought Provoking Thursday, PartyAtMyPlace, 100HappyDays, SincerelyPaulas, ThankfulThursdays
Friday:
FrenchCountryCottage, TheCharmOfHome, RootedInThyme, TheDedicatedHouseAnythingBlueFriday, ShabbyliciousFriday, Sweet Inspiration, Faith’nFriends, Missional Women Faith Filled Fridays, Dance With Jesus
Saturday:
FunkyJunkInteriors, OneMoreTimeEvents, SaturdaySparks, TheInspirationGallery, Make My Saturday Sweet
On Saturday morning Mr. OTN and I sat on the back porch drinking coffee and planning our day. It wasn’t long before our talk turned to more serious life matters and, as the discussion became hard Mr. OTN said,
“Let’s get in the car and go exploring. Let’s go somewhere we’ve never been.”
My first reaction was to remind him of all of the things we needed to take care of at home, unfinished projects, finances, yard work, etc., . . . and the more I talked about all that we needed to do the more I too, wanted to escape.
So we did. With a promise that Monday would be an all day work fest here at home!
We drove up to Talulah Falls in the Georgia mountains where we hiked a little and enjoyed some spectacular scenery.
Then we drove down into Lakemont, Georgia and came across a small artist’s village where we had lunch on the front porch of Annie’s at Attic Annie’s.
As much as I love being at home, sometimes getting out of my own environment is what I need to hit my refresh button.
My senses were filled right here, sitting on the front porch of the diner. And the overwhelming sense of contentment I caught in this place stayed with me the rest of the weekend.
Summer breezes blowing round me, watching people come and go, a Reuban’s delicious aroma, the sweet-tart tingle of lime Perrier on my tongue, the sound of mountain birds behind the chatter of other diners. Being together here, was a beautiful place to be.
Now it’s Monday and I’m ready to seize the day, beginning by sharing this tutorial and some photos of our very own favorite place to share a cup of coffee.
Earlier this summer I wrote a post on how I gave a French Courtyard Feeling to my backyard deck. We have thoroughly enjoyed this space this summer and when I look at these earlier pictures I can really see how much our plants have grown!
I do believe our flowers like it here in South Carolina.
From that post I received requests for tutorials on the French Pillows and Ruffled Slipcovers I made for my patio chairs. So before the summer is over, here is Part 1 where I’ll share with you how to sew an envelope pillow. These are just the EASIEST pillows ever as there is no hand hemming or adding of zippers or other closures.
I HEART envelope pillows!
For both the pillows and the slipcovers I used one of my very favorite fabrics for projects, painter’s drop cloth fabric of course! I washed it first in hot water and dried it on the highest heat setting to be sure there would be no shrinkage after sewing. Let’s get started:
Envelope Pillow Instructions:
Step one: Measure your pillow form and add 1″ for seam allowance.
Step two: Cut your first piece of fabric to that measurement. (my 14″ x 14″ pillow insert needed a 15″ x 15″ piece of fabric). This will be your pillow front.
Step three: Cut a second piece of fabric the same width but add 6″ to the height (for a 14″ x 14″ pillow insert mine was 15″ x 20″).
Step four: Cut your second piece of fabric in half horizontally (this gave me two pieces 15″ wide x 10″ high). These pieces will be the back of your pillow.
Step five: On each of the two back pieces make a 1/4″ fold on the edges that you just cut in half. Press with an iron. Fold this same edge over a second time making a 1″ fold and press again. Stitch hem in place on sewing machine.
Step six: Lay your front piece of fabric face up. Lay your two back pieces of fabric over the front piece face down, matching the raw edges of the fabric. Your hemmed edges will be overlapping. Use straight pins to pin front and backs together.
Step seven: Sew the pinned pieces together in a 1/2″ seam all around the four sides.
Step eight: Make a diagonal cut across each of the four corners of the pillow cover,
. . . turn right side out, and use a pencil eraser or other non-sharp object to push out the corners of the pillow cover.
Insert your pillow form into the back opening and you’re done!
For my French Courtyard look I used French lettering stencils and acrylic craft paint from Michael’s. I also embellished them with rosettes made from strips of drop cloth fabric. You can find a tutorial for making Rosettes right HERE.
That’s the end of Part 1. I’ll be back with Part 2, Ruffled Slipcovers next time.
Don’t forget to PIN me!
Now, tell me. Do you have a favorite way to hit the “refresh” button in your life? What does that look like for you? Is it always something “spiritual” that you find renewal in or can it be something like my Saturday getaway? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Blessings friends,
I’ve been known to link up to the following great parties!!!
Sunday:
TheDIYShowoff, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, SilverPenniesSundays, SundaysAtHome,RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays, GiveMeGrace
Monday:
IShouldBeMoppingTheFloor, TheDedicatedHouse, Dwellings, ProjectInspired, InspireMeMonday, BetweenNapsOnThePorch, CelebrateYourStoryMaking Your Home Sing Mondays, The Beauty in His Grip What Joy is Mine/Monday Musings, Darling Downs Diaries,The Art of Homemaking,SmallWonder, LifeGivingLinkup, MomentsOfHope, Glimpses,SittingAmongFriends
Tuesday:
TalkOfTheTown, HomeStoriesAtoZ, AStrollThruLife, CoastalCharm, CozyLittleHouse,CedarHillFarmhouse, KatheWithAnE,TuesdaysAtOurHome, TheWinthropChronicles, Rich Faith Rising Unite Linky, Testimony Tuesday,Cheerleaders of Faith,Tell His Story,IntentionalTuesday
Wednesday:
SavvySouthernStyle, TheBlissfulBee, Posed Perfection, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home,Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesdays, ChristianBloggerLinkup, Whole Hearted Home, Mom’s Morning Coffee, Women with Intention, Coffee for Your Heart,MessyMarriage, ThreeWordWednesday
Thursday:
ShareYourStyle, ImpartingGrace, EmbracingChange, HaveADailyCupOfMrsOlson,MyRepurposedLife, ADelightsomeLife, KatherinesCorner, PrettyPreppyParty, The Deliberate Mom/Shine Blog Hop, I Choose Joy, Live Free Thursday, Thought Provoking Thursday, PartyAtMyPlace, 100HappyDays, SincerelyPaulas, ThankfulThursdays
Friday:
FrenchCountryCottage, TheCharmOfHome, RootedInThyme, TheDedicatedHouseAnythingBlueFriday, ShabbyliciousFriday, Sweet Inspiration, Faith’nFriends, Missional Women Faith Filled Fridays, Dance With Jesus
Saturday:
FunkyJunkInteriors, OneMoreTimeEvents, SaturdaySparks, TheInspirationGallery, Make My Saturday Sweet
