OLD THINGS NEW

FROM BROKEN, TO BEAUTIFUL

Navigation
  • Home
  • Painted Furniture & Misc.
  • Tutorials
  • Contact

What I Learned in April

May 8, 2017 by Patti 15 Comments

Let me start off by saying that the biggest thing I learned in April is that I’ve become very, VERY lazy about carrying my “real” camera with me and I’ve relied on my iPhone way too much.  While this is good for Instagram, it is not so good for blog posts 🙁

Caution:  Poor quality pictures ahead!!! 

It has been another busy month, filled with ups and downs and everything in-between.  Isn’t that just how life is?

Early in the month I had the chance to attend the Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference in California.  It was a huge opportunity for which I’m extremely grateful and I owe a debt of gratitude to my husband for making it happen. 

These conferences aren’t cheap by any means and the fact that Mr. OTN was willing to spend his hard earned money to send me caused me to realize (I learned), once again, that my husband believes in me and supports this writing journey of mine.  For better or for worse 😉

The setting of the conference in the California Redwoods was amazing, but so was the chance to spend time with my beautiful friends:  Debbie Kitterman and Michelle Bengtson – Las Tres Amigas! 

I learned, (though I already knew) how much I miss the company of my writer friends when we are apart.

I sent a portion of my book manuscript ahead for review and went in a little fearful of what they might say about my writing.  After meeting with the reviewers I was very encouraged and felt ready to push forward with greater intensity.  After thinking about their suggestions I also realized that I need to change up my story quite a bit.

I was encouraged to use my life experience when writing this story, but not to think about it as our story (hubs and mine), as doing so will keep me from allowing my characters to step outside of my life own experience. I’ve learned that this has freed me to become much more creative in my writing.

I am having so much fun!

We were invited for Easter dinner to the home of Greenville friends, Mark & Leslie Hoyt.  This is the most fun-loving couple I know!

Here’s Leslie after testing the cheesecake.  LOL!

In the interest of saving a friendship I’ll share with you a more flattering picture of this lovely lady. I’ve learned through experience that it is always best to share the most flattering pictures of your friends.

I’ve learned, during my third Spring here in SC, that April is my favorite month in the Upstate.  All of the trees are so green and the flowers are at their peak.  Here are a few pictures from my yard.

Another thing I’ve learned is that I never grow tired of spending time in downtown Greenville and it is also most beautiful this time of year.  Hubs and I took an entire Saturday and spent it downtown at Fall’s Park on the Reedy River.  Writing, napping, and snapping photos with my iPhone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a day in the park and dinner at Pomegranate – a local restaurant with Fabulous Mediterranean cuisine – we went to see our local hockey team, the Swamp Rabbits, play game 5 in the playoffs.  I learned that sitting iceside can be a scary place to be!

 

I accomplished quite a bit of writing during the month of April.  I’m writing in my dining room now, which is nice because I can spread out all my books and papers and leave them there (until I have company – then I stash them under the table).  I’ve learned that the only problem with writing here – well, anywhere in my house really – is that I get distracted with decorating and wanting to change things up for the seasons. 

 

Case in point:  As my eyes wandered away from my computer they were drawn to this plain frame.  Very soon it was bedecked with Spring flowers.

 

 

April included a Celebration of Life for me.  I learned quite a lot in the months leading up to this celebration and one day I will write about it here.

 

 

 

Our month ended with a rockin’ concert by The Newsboys.  This is Michael Tait, their lead singer, pouring his everything out on the stage.  I learned, that this is one band that does not disappoint 😉

That almost wraps up my April except for:

We’ve had a few dogs in our lives and in the past two years both of our Beagles have passed on.  We still have our ten-year-old Boxador Sasha, but things have been a little quiet around here with all us seniors!  In April we learned that a dog we’ve been waiting for would soon be ours.

You’ll have to wait until next month for the full reveal of our new CharliGirl!

Until then, blessings y’all 😉

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 JesusFreshMarketFriday

Saturday:

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

Tweet

Filed Under: Easter, Flowers, Friendship, Gardening, My Yard, Southern Living, Spring Tagged With: Flowers, Friendship, Gardening, my yard, southern living, Spring, Writing, yeahthatgreenville

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 22
  • Next Page »
OldThingsNew

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.

Disclosure: Old Things New is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program, which is designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com . . . or, in other words, Shopping through my links helps Old Things New keep the lights on!

Search this site

Click below to:

Follow on Bloglovin

Click on icon below to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, & Instagram

facebook twitter pinterest instagram

My HGTV Tiny House Hunter Experience

My HGTV Tiny House Hunter Experience

Instagram

oldthingsnew

It may be dreary outside, but it’s cheery inside It may be dreary outside, but it’s cheery inside when I get to be doing that thing I love. Chairs!
💜Valentines Day is the day of love!💜 That’ 💜Valentines Day is the day of love!💜 That’s why I chose this day to share the 🎉Grand Opening 🎉of my custom chair design shop on Etsy. Whether you’re in the market for a new chair or not, I would love for y’all to go to my shop and check it out. You might even learn some things about me that you didn’t know before by clicking on the About page. 😉

I’m very excited to do my creative thing and be able  share it with others. This is the first step in a new journey and I greatly appreciate any likes or shares so that I can get my Chosen Chairs shop name out into the marketplace🥰

Chosen Chairs, where every chair has a story.

www.chosenchairs.Etsy.com
Chairs! For many are called, but few are chosen. # Chairs! For many are called, but few are chosen. #biblewisdom #chosenchairs #reupholsteredfurniture #interiordesign #chairs #customchairs #chairdesigner #creativefurniture #uniquechairsdesign #artfulchairs #smallbusinessowner #etsysellersofinstagram #etsyshop
Instagram post 17981859046813542 Instagram post 17981859046813542
Instagram post 18163992019283795 Instagram post 18163992019283795
The morning routine changes everything. #biblestud The morning routine changes everything. #biblestudy #danielstudy #e2mcoffee #charlestoncoffeeexchange #siezetheday❤️
Etsy Shop opening soon for Custom Designed Chairs Etsy Shop opening soon for Custom Designed Chairs by Patti.
We’ll done Buffalo! ❤️💙 We’ll done Buffalo! ❤️💙
Christmas is put away but a little light remains i Christmas is put away but a little light remains in my library dining room. #twinklelights #diningroom #libraryroom #frenchcountry #coastalstyle #diningroomlibrary #lakelifestyle #piercingthedarkness
Delicious New Year’s Day frittata from Leslie Wa Delicious New Year’s Day frittata from Leslie Watkins at Feet under my Table blog. ❤️
We’re eagerly watching London’s New Year’s D We’re eagerly watching London’s New Year’s Day parade on PBS to see two of Bill’s granddaughters participate with their Fleming Island High School marching band in playing a tribute to the queen.
I’m thrilled with this beautiful necklace I rece I’m thrilled with this beautiful necklace I received from @beaglund for Christmas and want to give a shout out to her friend Ashley @livealohadesigns. All of her designs are gorgeous. #supportsmallbusinesses #madewithaloha #ohana
Still going strong after four rounds in the only p Still going strong after four rounds in the only program that has ever worked for me. Sure, I went off plan a few times over the holidays but E2M shows you how to get right back on track toward meeting your goals. It’s not about getting skinny but about being strong, and I feel better than I have in years. Sign ups are open for a limited time for the next 8-week round so check out the link for more info. #e2mpersonaltraining #e2mfitness #e2m #67strong

https://e2mfitness.com/?mibextid=Zxz2cZ
Instagram post 17951728424378926 Instagram post 17951728424378926
When do you take your Christmas tree down? 1. The When do you take your Christmas tree down? 
1. The day after Christmas
2. New Year’s Day
3. The 12th day of Christmas - Dec 6
4. After we’ve had some snow
5. Until Spring 
#ohchristmastree #ilovechristmastrees #christmaslights #thetwelvedaysofchristmas #lakelifestyle
For those wondering if this program really works, For those wondering if this program really works, I’m still going strong with @e2mfitness after four rounds, and now that they’ve released a new cookbook (available on Amazon) I am more excited than ever about my fitness journey. This is the first in a series of cookbooks, and this one features delicious beef and poultry recipes. It also includes dozens of recipes for dressings and spice blends to use in cooking, along with a weekly meal planner, water tracker, weekly exercise log, etc. 
What is E2M? It is a virtual, eight week, rapid body transformation program for adults, which consists of workouts, meal, plans, cooking classes, mental fitness, and personal coaching. Workouts are designed for all fitness levels and can be done at home or in a gym. Our fit family is made up of people from across the world, from various backgrounds and ages, and we all have one common goal: to encourage each other to reach our personal best lifestyle fitness goals. After the first eight weeks, the program is available for free to maintain progress. This isn’t about getting skinny. It’s about building a healthier lifestyle, living longer, and getting the most out of the one body you’ve been blessed with. The next round opens on Thursday, and I truly hope you’ll check it out!
#e2mpersonaltraining #e2mfitness #e2m #eager2cook #67strong #healthyrecipesforhealthyliving
Shumaker Christmas 2022. #christmas2022 #shumakers Shumaker Christmas 2022. #christmas2022 #shumakerstrong #familychristmas #prancerthereindeer #polarplunge
Shumaker Polar Plunge 2022. Participating family m Shumaker Polar Plunge 2022. Participating family members @joelshumaker @olivia.l.05 @sydneydthompson @philshu04 @pj_shumaker @billiamdollarman #shumakerstrong #polarplunge2022 #familychristmas #sothisischristmas
Santa Claus is comin’ to town! #christmas2022 #s Santa Claus is comin’ to town! #christmas2022 #santaclaus ##christmasdecor #goldendoodle
“In 1965, Charles Schulz, a devout Christian and “In 1965, Charles Schulz, a devout Christian and creator of the Peanuts comic strip, was asked to create a Christmas special for CBS featuring the Peanuts Characters. He agreed with one requirement, that they allow him to include the story of the birth of Jesus. Although the stations executives were hesitant and tried to convince him otherwise, Schulz was insistent. As a result, for the past 50 plus years, millions of people have watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and heard the story of Jesus and “what Christmas is all about.”

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.”

(Copied & Pasted)
Load More Follow on Instagram

See what I’ve been pinning lately!

Color Washing Technique

Color Washing Technique

Chalk Painted Kitchen Cabinet Tutorial

Chalk Painted Kitchen Cabinet Tutorial

Fab Over 50 (or 60, or 70 . . .)

Fab Over 50 (or 60, or 70 . . .)

Love Fashion? Follow my Fab Over 50 Board on Pinterest!

Archives

  • December 2018 (2)
  • October 2018 (31)
  • September 2018 (2)
  • August 2018 (3)
  • March 2018 (1)
  • December 2017 (4)
  • November 2017 (3)
  • October 2017 (3)
  • September 2017 (4)
  • August 2017 (9)
  • July 2017 (7)
  • June 2017 (8)
  • May 2017 (9)
  • April 2017 (7)
  • March 2017 (1)
  • February 2017 (5)
  • January 2017 (5)
  • December 2016 (1)
  • November 2016 (1)
  • October 2016 (1)
  • September 2016 (3)
  • August 2016 (7)
  • July 2016 (3)
  • June 2016 (4)
  • May 2016 (5)
  • April 2016 (6)
  • March 2016 (7)
  • February 2016 (6)
  • January 2016 (9)
  • December 2015 (12)
  • November 2015 (11)
  • October 2015 (7)
  • September 2015 (3)
  • August 2015 (3)
  • July 2015 (8)
  • June 2015 (6)
  • May 2015 (1)
  • April 2015 (8)
  • March 2015 (10)
  • February 2015 (8)
  • January 2015 (7)
  • December 2014 (9)
  • November 2014 (7)
  • October 2014 (7)
  • September 2014 (3)
  • August 2014 (2)
  • July 2014 (5)
  • June 2014 (5)
  • May 2014 (4)
  • April 2014 (12)
  • March 2014 (7)
  • February 2014 (1)
  • January 2014 (3)
  • December 2013 (7)
  • November 2013 (4)
  • October 2013 (6)
  • September 2013 (6)
  • August 2013 (6)
  • July 2013 (7)
  • June 2013 (11)
  • May 2013 (8)
  • April 2013 (7)
  • March 2013 (9)
  • February 2013 (10)
  • January 2013 (6)
  • December 2012 (5)
  • November 2012 (2)
  • October 2012 (2)
  • September 2012 (2)
  • August 2012 (5)
  • July 2012 (6)
  • June 2012 (3)

Tags

Addiction Antiques and Collectibles Blogging Books Chalk Paint Chalk Painted Furniture Christianity Christmas Coastal Style Crafts DIY Drop cloth projects Entertaining Faith Fall Decor Flowers Food Freedom Freedom Friday Freedom Session French Country Friendship Furniture Painting Gardening God's grace Home Decor Home Decorating Hospitality Inspiration Junking Lakeside living Marriage My Home My Story old junk transformations Prayer Recipes Recovery Redemption Shopping southern living Spring Summer thrifting Tutorial

Fistbump Media, LLC

Copyright © 2023 · All Rights Reserved · Designed by Blogger Boutique for Old Things New Blog

 

Loading Comments...