Mini Disaster

I guess you can call it a disaster.

I hate to do it, because it could have been so much worse, but it still shook me up pretty good.

We had a pipe burst in our basement.

This was my pride and joy just a few days ago

My very own crafting corner.

It was my sanctuary filled with all my favorite treasures

and goodies acquired in trades.

I was so happy about my space!

This is how my space looked when I got called home from the water park yesterday

(thank heavens a thousand times over my son stayed home and was here when it happened)

my drawers, my jars, my baskets and totes, all filled with water

I panicked, no doubt about it.

The pictures are so random because I was sobbing as I took them.

Hubby is out of town this week and I had no idea how I was going to conquer an entire basement of sopping wet boxes and books and supplies.

I didn't realize my sisters were on their way, and they took control of the situation and started setting things out to dry immediately.

I thought it was mostly my crafting goods, but everything was soaked in our entire basement. As we started emptying boxes we found the harsh truth....pictures. Lots of pictures. And numerous scrapbooks from my wedding and first years of marriage, my first baby being born.... I was losing it. My sisters stayed focus and set to rescuing it all.

We hung pages and laid pictures out carefully...a neighbor stopped by to see what was happening and bless her heart,she shed tears with me as we pulled my husband's photos from his mission he served over 20 years ago out of a sopping wet album.

Even sealed bags and containers were filled with water

These photos do not have digital copies, and I really had no idea they were stashed away with my craft supplies. It broke my heart to see them laying out as the sun started to go down, hours after we started the process.

In the garage things sat over night trying to dry out and wait for me to make sense of what can be saved.

Another thing that upset me was to see so many of my books ruined. They were like sponges, swollen and sopping, and just fell apart when you tried to move them. My favorite, marked up, well loved copy of Atlas Shrugged completely fell apart today when I tried to open it.

I am not sure if my crying is symbolic, therapeutic or even normal anymore....

I just keep losing it.

In case you wonder what a girl like me looks like on the morning after a day like yesterday wonder no more.

Bags under the eyes, greasy hair, blotchy skin....it is my badge of honor today.

And even though we lost a few precious things

(this bubbled picture is one of the few baby pics I have of my husband)

We saved hundreds and hundreds pictures and pages all together.

Today I pulled my 'baby blanket' out of a wet box I hadn't got to yet...I am so relieved with all the important things we have found just in time.

I can't complain in spite of the sadness. We are so blessed, we have so much... my heart actually aches for people who lose everything....EVERYTHING to a natural disaster.

My sisters and my kids and my neighbor made what would have taken me days take only hours to salvage and sort. I am so grateful to them for their help.

I hope I am blessed to remember this moment and help others more in the future.

Even standing beside someone or saving one thing for them is a gift.

I believe we will need it more in the days to come.

I hope others may blessed as I was in my time of panic and need.

Summer Tidbits

Colorado Springs.....wow.

It has been celebrated that I attended my first real flea market.

That was epic, of course. But look at a few more great things we saw.

This house caught my eye while on a neighborhood spy drive.

And it had a for sale sign up.....hold me back, right?

We toured the Air Force Academy Chapel and cathedral- where my son and his group sang a cool Sacred Harp song impromptu style.

The chapel is stunning, in a Star Trek modern kind of way.

We also hit some shops in Manitou Springs

We were sure to grab some ice cream for the kids and chocolate for mom,

but mostly it was window shopping and sightseeing.

It was a great few days of time to together,

following my son with his choir around to hear a couple of performances,

and also just time to kick back.

The perfect way to start the summer.

To hear the amazing kids share their talents with the Sacred Harp Shape Note song "Hark I hear the Harps Eternal" Click HERE. (but the image is horrible. New camera- no knowledge on focus. Sorry. Don't watch, just listen)

I am proud of my singing son.

Flea Market and Funky Junk Finds

The blog world has opened my eyes to the possibilities of decorating and connecting with other women who care to create. I love the Funky Junk blog for all that it does to push home decor out of the box ( and give a more masculine feel to the world of Shabby and Vintage decor).

I went to my FIRST flea market while in Colorado this weekend- and hubby was in tow, not too excited about the vans oozing with junk- but a good sport, none the less. Before I knew it we turned a corner and eyed this vintage STOP sign which my hubby could not bear to let pass by. (And it was not exactly cheap).

We were told by the vendor it was from the 40's, and after a little more research I have learned that most stop signs with additional words above and below the STOP are probably dated from the 20's-40's. The earlier signs were yellow, though, so I am not sure where this fits in.

We also spotted these super cool and funky surplus trunks

thanks to Funky Junk inspiration me and my son agreed these would be awesome stacked by his bed as a nightstand with a cool light and clock. Would you believe we got both of these for $25 ? I was a little giddy over that. (Note to others- remove your funky trunks before you try to tour the Air Force Academy. The guards did a double take at these in our trunk and shook them to make sure they were empty. Oops!)

A blog post by Stacy's Shabby Shoppe also had me enjoying some mommy ME time at a local antique mall where I found this super shabby ladder.

I am envisioning it in my reading nook with a few cozy quilts tossed across the bars and maybe a magazine or two slung on the rungs. It isn't in my corner yet, but my Mother's Day gift did find it's way to it's spot.

Speaking of Mother's Day, I know it's been a month, but I have to just say I loved just relishing in the day with my boys, and really loving what it means to be a mom.

I am going to share a little card my youngest tucked into my hands the day after Mother's Day as he was getting ready for school.....

it made me cry like a baby... who else but a mom is loved like this?

linking up today with Romantic Homes blog.....the links are all so fun!

Around the House

Well.....I hit a local antique store after reading about it on another blog. I was feeling a bit bluesy with all the changes of the school year and the drama that kids can bring to it, so I probably was an easy retail target that day. One thing I found that I am in love with is this little weathered parlor chair.

I wanted something with a touch of vintage flair to it that I could set my Diet Coke, iPad, and magazines on when I go for a long soak. (A bath is an escape around here). It is sturdy enough I can use it while slipping on my socks and shoes so it is perfect.

I am still in dire need of more decor around my sanctuary spot!

All the windows in the antique mall reminded me I had a few more in the basement of my old home. I ran home and grabbed one to bring to my new house.

I love the little flakes of blue that survived the high pressure shooting of the hose.

I did have a few other things on this armoire top, but I liked the size of this window better, so I swapped them out. With a few little touches I am liking this one better for the space.

I have added glass ware and bottles to my vintage 'to find' list, now that I have this little place to tuck a few more.

This next corner (I know, not decorated yet! Oh, the possibilities, right?)was one of the selling points of the house. I have always wanted a reading nook of some sort, complete with an outside view and plenty of shelves. This is a little wing in the Master Bedroom area.

Now that I have the space, I just need to add the shelves and outside landscaping to complete my corner! I got a shelf for Mother's Day, but it wasn't here yet when I snapped this photo. Let's call it my "before" photo and I will show you more as I get it done.

This weekend was the first day of our yard clean-up.

Have you ever looked at a pile of weeds and thought "wow...every thing in that pile was pulled by an (aching) hand." This truck full was a lot of work. We probably won't begin our landscaping until next spring, just due to some of the major stuff that needs to be done and we aren't ready to get to it yet.

But I do have my happy place on the porch.

I am anxious to get my house where I want it to be but life is reminding me....it's all about the process.

Little by little, we decorate our life

Spring Tag Time

One of the bonus benefits of being from a large family, who is also a creative group of women, is the instant artistic swaps we can organize. One quick Facebook message will start a tag swap for a dozen of us at a time.

I just finished my spring tags to exchange with sisters, nieces, and my mom.

I love the idea of running patterned and colored paper through the printer.

This tag background is from the free image gallery at Ceremony.

I love how it turned out on this paper.

After finding some sort of mixed media vintage image that I was excited about, (not hard at Moonlight Journey) and some spring sentiments, I could start assembling the tags.

Funny, I was so in love with that birdcage, and then I just covered it up.

Oh well, part of the process is loving what you do step by step.

Adding a few more tidbits and an ink stamp or two, and I am finally liking the final image

The quote comes from the following poem

If I Had my Life to Live Over Again

I'd dare to make more mistakes next time.

I'd relax, I would limber up.

I would be sillier than I have been this trip.

I would take fewer things seriously.

I would take more chances.

I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.

I would eat more ice cream and less beans.

I would perhaps have more actual troubles,

but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I'm one of those people who live

sensibly and sanely hour after hour,

day after day.

Oh, I've had my moments,

And if I had it to do over again,

I'd have more of them.

In fact, I'd try to have nothing else.

Just moments, one after another,

instead of living so many years ahead of each day.

I've been one of those people who never goes anywhere

without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat

and a parachute.

If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over,

I would start barefoot earlier in the spring

and stay that way later in the fall.

I would go to more dances.

I would ride more merry-go-rounds.

I would pick more daisies.

Nadine Stair,

85 years old.

What would you do differently if you did it over again?

Why I tolerate Tyra

America's Next Top Model

Tyra Banks.

Recoil. Eye roll. Embarrassed laugh.

I've heard it all over the years and I can imitate her voice at "panel" to perfection "5 beautiful girls stand before me...but I only have 4 photos in my hands..."

But cycle after cycle, week after week, drama after starving girl drama, I TUNE IN.

And here is why.....

I love the whole creativity process, from hair and makeup, fashion and costuming, and to the photographer and sets.

I am so thrilled while I see the magic behind the pictures.

Week after week I will watch, dream, be inspired, and imagine

and probably roll my eyes at Tyra.

Easter Inspiration for the Creative

To all the women I follow who create lovely rooms, yards, tags, collages, clothing, jewelry and beautiful lives around me : this gift of truly sacred words I pass along to you

Sit for 2 minutes and celebrate with me our ability to create

I am overwhelmed by the beautiful things I see

that speak to me and revive me.

And for the power to create

I am ever grateful

Happy Easter

(photos: room by Weheartthis.com and Fearless by Papaya Art)