Taking a Break

   It began with a crashing computer. The one with all of my photographs on it. Then one excuse began piling up after another. My stress level kept rising. I could not organize my thoughts or anything else, for that matter. So after much angst, I gave myself permission to take a break from blogging. Something that is supposed to be fun and therapeutic had ended up becoming a burden. Not a good idea.
   I am back today with a repost of a very special Christmas blessing that has a place of honor in our home each and every year. I just put this treasure out today. I know. It's the week before Thanksgiving. And here I am decorating for Christmas. But I have a good excuse. A really good excuse. I am having my right knee replaced the day before Thanksgiving. So unless I decorate today and tomorrow, the Christmas decor will pretty much be nonexistent. Thus...I have been dragging out my treasures and putting them out...smiling all the way. It's been a delightful day. 
    I do hope to update you all on my knee replacement (this is my third joint to be replaced.) It's not exactly something to which I am looking forward, but it is something that I most definitely need to do. Look for me later. I will be the one in the hideous white TED hose that will carry me right through Christmas. Maybe I'll just pretend to be a snow bunny this year...right.


     During the first twenty-five years of our marriage, it became a tradition for me to purchase something reminiscent of the nativity as a part of the Christmas gift The Husband and I gave to one another. Thus it is that our home at Christmas is filled with creches. When Christmas is over, I don't even put them all away. Some of them remain in place throughout the year as a perpetual reminder of the "Gift" they represent. Some are ornaments that hang upon the tree; others are fashioned of wood, ceramic, or clay, and one set is made entirely of felt. It is just perfect for little grandbaby hands to hold and to move and to place just so over and over again.
       However, the favorite of all of my creches is a very humble nativity, one that is not likely to attract a second glance unless you know the story behind it. Despite its lack of supposed beauty, it has a place of prominence in our home: it has its home on the entry hall table to greet guests when they come in the door. 
       The base is a slab of unfired clay made by one of my children. There are little figures crafted by another of my children, where once there were four figures, only three have stood the test of time. Sadly, Joseph has completely disintegrated. The figures are accompanied by a hand-lettered banner made by yet another child and finished off with a clay plaque by the last of my children. Thus, this beloved nativity represents the collective efforts of all four of our offspring. It was not planned this way, but I am convinced it was a gracious coincidence guided by a heavenly hand.

     The banner is twenty-three years old. I wouldn't trade anything in the world for the "Goly to God in the highest..." Goly was a first grader's way of writing "Glory," but I am sure that God understood exactly what this child of mine was trying to say. 
     Another child lovingly crafted the base which originally was shaped more like a cave and had an overhanging top that has long since broken off. It holds the three figures (there were once four). There is  Mary; she is the figure on the right bending over the tiny figure resting on a bed of clay. It is Baby Jesus but his head is no longer attached to his body and must be carefully positioned or it will roll off on its own. To the right of Jesus and Mary is a lion, crouching in the snow. When the son who made the figures came home with this nativity with the lion, I had the audacity to ask him, "A lion?"  (I am thinking a cow or sheep might have been more appropriate, but mothers should learn early never to ask children questions like this, unless they want to immediately be put in their place. I will never forget that he looked at me with something akin to disdain as he said, "Of course, Mommy, don't you know that the lion goes with the lamb?"  And so it does. I cried. He patted me. 
      The Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God...they go together, do they not, and indeed, are they not one and the same? Yes, some of the most profound truths come out of the mouth of babes. 
     The final complement to this treasured creche is the little clay plaque in the back:.You can barely read it, but in case you can't, I'll tell you: It says, "Jesus I Love You." It was originally supposed to be a cross, an Easter decoration, but when this child brought it home he told me,"I couldn't do the cross, Mommy, I wrote Jesus a letter instead. I thought He might like it better than the cross. I wanted to tell Him thank you." I cried again. He said, "I want it to go with the manger." It was springtime so I asked again, "Do you want me to put it out with the Easter things?"  He shook his head firmly. "No, this cross is a letter, and it goes with the manger." 
       How could it be that a child understood something so deep, so powerful, so profound?  How could he grasp at the age of five, the very essence of the cross? How could he know that the cross, the terrible, wondrous cross, is also a letter, an I-love-you letter from a Holy God to His beloved, yet sinful people. 
       So you see perhaps why this tiny fragile nativity holds a place so dear to this mother's heart. Each child of mine made his or her contribution, unplanned and unscripted over the course of many years to make it complete. There is a Banner of Love (Goly to God...). A little cave to cradle the Holy Family. A lion to stand guard and to lie down with the lamb.  And finally, a love letter that would and should have been a cross, except that a little boy wanted so much to write this letter to say thank you to Jesus for the cross. And the child knew intuitively that this was no ordinary baby, this was a baby born to die to save us from our sins. Christmas irrevocably linked to Easter. It is no accident that we must become as little children, is it? And once again, I cry, "Lord help my unbelief. Help each of us to believe with the wonder and the certain faith of a child."

    It is my Advent song this year...starting with the Week of Thanksgiving.

from the archives

   

A Gender Neutral Nursery Fit for a Prince or Princess!

    My niece and her husband made what appears to be an unusual choice these days: they opted not to find out the gender of their baby. The birthing trend for most young parents is to acquire as much information as is possible beforehand, to organize and plan everything out to the most minute detail, and to outfit the nursery with a specific theme that is designed with a particular child in mind. Some parents-to-be even go so far as to schedule an induction so that even the actual birth day of the child will not be subject to the whims or vagaries of nature.(Heaven forbid!)  I won't get started on my opinion on all of that...but let me just say that I am a firm proponent of waiting. I can readily testify that the moment when you discover just who your child is one of the most magical and wonderful events in life.
   That being said, living in the day and time that in which we find ourselves, planning and executing a gender neutral nursery can be a significant challenge. Most of the decor that is available is geared toward one sex or the other. My niece, however, managed to pull together an adorable nursery that strikes the perfect balance. The soft blues, creams, and touches of white and burnished gold will lend themselves well to either a baby boy or a baby girl.
    I also love that she incorporated items that had been used in her own nursery. In some cases they were updated and in others, they appear just as they were thirty years ago. As you enjoy seeing her selections, I will try to let you know where she sourced everything.

The color palette is soft and soothing. No bright colors here to strike discordant notes. 

This little nursery will be a sanctuary for mother and child alike. 

Noted designer Erika Powell of Urban Grace Interiors 

worked with my niece and assisted her with the wall color, bedding selections, and window treatments.

From this picture you can see that the bedroom was originally 

paneled in hand-hewn tongue and groove cypress that has been painted with Benjamin Moore White Dove.
I am usually not a fan of paneling, but here it provides interest and adds a cottage feel to the room.

The pegged oak floors are original to the house and were refinished with a darker stain this past year.

The Jenny Lind crib was used by my niece when she was a baby.
Urban Grace worked their magic on the bedding.
 It is a masterful blend of textures, subtle patterns and tones.
It's neutral, but not boring!

The crib skirt fabric is a Jane Shelton linen fabric: Raindrops in Blue/Green. It is designed to adjust

as the crib is lowered. The crib sheet is Serena and Lily Aqua Trellis, and the bumpers

are Robert Allen Diamond Tuft in Natural with welting and ties in Fabricut Elements in Haze.

I love this piece and think it adds great cachet to the space. My niece searched high and low and

finally found this gem on a FaceBook auction.
Even though she had to drive 120 miles to pick it up, it

was definitely worth it. 

This ceramic bunny has a happy home in the corner

I don't know whose idea it was, but it was a genius plan to remove the closet doors and add the shelving for baskets (from Pottery Barn). It will be a long time before baby will need the extra length for his or her clothes and this makes wise use of what is normally underutilized space in a closet.

Here's a closer look at the changing table combination dresser. My niece
ordered this charming piece on Etsy from Dani's Custom Designs.
I love the retro knobs and the embossing detail on the front of the drawers.

My mother made each of her daughters a series of these counted cross-stitch nursery rhymes 

for our baby nurseries. My niece had these keepsakes reframed in burnished gold for an updated look. 

No family nursery would be complete without a hand-knitted baby
blanket designed and executed by the baby's great-grandmother, our beloved BaBa. 

The nursery rocker/glider is from Beau Home Interiors in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida,
 and is slipcovered in a natural cotton twill.

Both the shade and the curtain above have blackout lining. Draperies are Fabricut Carrom Robin's Egg.  Urban Grace fabricated the cornice board in-house.  Hardware is by Restoration Hardware.
One of my favorite touches is the bird lamp on the wicker table (from an estate sale)
by Dimond Lighting.It definitely brings a touch of whimsy to the space
 and echoes the burnished gold tones of the chandelier hanging above.

 Here are a collection of treasures that belonged to my niece when she was a baby

 Leather baby shoes that have been preserved in porcelain paired with a Wedgwood Bunnykins bank

The vintage Beatrix Potter music box by Schmid with Mr. Owl and the Squirrel

A closer look at the artwork by Ginger Leigh of Grayton Beach, Florida that was
 commissioned especially for the nursery.

You've seen all of the special touches that my niece pulled together to make a
 serene, soothing and inviting space for her little one to play and sleep and dream.
Now it's time to find out just who will be taking up residence in this lovely nursery....
Drumroll, please...
It's a Girl!
It's a Princess!
Here she is...

Nursery rug from Joss and Main
All baskets pictured from Pottery Barn

Mother Goose gift from Pretty Please

Chandelier found online

Small wicker rocker gift from friend

Round wicker table from an Estate Sale
Baby Girl - gift from God (every perfect gift cometh from above....)

To Keep or Not to Keep

   My friend recently inherited a set of French Provincial furniture. If you were a little girl growing up in the 1950's or 60's you know exactly what I am talking about. Every little girl I knew wanted a canopy bed and white desk and dresser just like the one pictured below. I remember showing my own Momma this very same ad from the Sears catalogue, but she wasn't buying it. We had Ethan Allen furniture instead. 

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   No offense to any of you who might still be enamored with this style of furniture, I am no longer nor is my friend. In fact this white, somewhat prissy furniture could not be further from my friend's personal style. However, she is in desperate need of some sturdy furniture to provide additional storage in her bedroom. So it's off to the web to search for solutions to her dilemma...all involving some repurposing of the said French Provincial bedroom furniture into something a little more up-to-date.

   As you might well imagine, I found everything from exotic to moderately attractive to terribly tacky, so there's a wide range of ideas from which my friend can choose. Despite the way the pieces look at the moment, I am a complete advocate of keeping the furniture and applying different paint finishes to at least a couple of the pieces in order to break up the monotony and add some interest and variety to the room.

   Here are some options for that oh-so-boring dresser of hers.

This is a before shot to give you an idea in case you forgot about any 

of the features endemic to these stylistic gems...

How about this after? Not too bad in my book.

I confess I am a fan of this color combination

I also like this color palette that includes applying both a darkening stain to the original wood along with a paint treatment.

Check out this relatively simple two-color paint application, one that changes the character of the piece and gives it a different vibe. Note to painter: this definitely requires a steady hand.

If my friend decides to go with a pop of color, these are colors that pack a singular punch

And if she decides to bring a little pattern into the picture, this could work:

or this

or this available for purchase at this Etsy store.

At least knowing my friend like I do, I know that she is NOT going to end up with
anything remotely resembling this! But as they say...to each her own!

Party Pretties

   The Daughter turned me on to the flowers at Trader Joe's. I am now officially hooked. Instead of spending a minor fortune at a wholesale flower house, I actually found that purchasing the flowers for a party at Trader Joe's was a much cheaper option. Who could have guessed?!
    Take a look at the flowers that I pulled together for a sweet little Sip-n-See in honor of a new baby girl!

Here is the "Before," and yes, that is my thumb partially obscuring the clumsy photo taken with my iPhone!

And here are the "Afters"

Ranunculus just might be my new favorite flower. I paired them with white tulips, hyacinths, pink flowering branches, hydrangea, spray roses in two shades of pink and also white, and some lovely bluebells for added height. The fragrance of the hyacinths nearly scented my whole house.

 As soon as I knew that this little one would be making her debut

 I started scouring the antique malls for some vintage

baby planters. I arranged flowers in them and scattered them on the main table

 and throughout the house.

I love this little lamb...so sweet!

Here's a close-up of that little vintage lamb planter!

When I discovered these little pink ceramic McCoy shoes on one of my forays, I snagged them

right away. They looked perfect on the table filled with pink spray roses!

To display the yummy petit fours, I simply used an oblong silver footed tray on 

which I placed a small pink cake stand. 

In the center was a tiny pink shoe filled with more roses and a bit of pink heather!

 Here is another look at the petit fours. Hands down, these are the best I have ever eaten.

A friend referred me to the baker, who works out of her home. 

If you need a custom cake or more of these amazing petit fours, call Katie at A Perfect Bite.

 As you can well imagine with a baby girl, it was pink, pink, and more pink EVERYWHERE!

 These gorgeous pink pressed glass plates with the lattice design once belonged 

to my mother-in-law. I have always loved them. 

One of my favorite touches was this banner that I purchased back in December

 at Catherine Clement's Christmas on 18th Avenue Show.

(If you have never been, you simply must!)

She uses vintage linens and some lovely fabrics to create the perfect look. 

I added the ribbons for a special accent.

 The little bunny is sitting on the entry hall table in homage to the baby's grandmother, 

my dear friend Ann (the little baby girl, the honoree, is named for her). 

Ann had a thing for antiques, bunnies, and flowers.

Her daughter is much more contemporary in her choices, hence the tiny Chuck Taylors!

The little bitty chair was mine as a child and was made from an oak barrel
purchased in England in the 1950's.
I had it recovered some years ago in a vintage circus fabric.

 I apologize for the poor quality of the photos which were all taken with my iPhone.

The Husband was off galavanting at the Final Four and of course, he

had the good camera with him!

Spring Fling with Etsy

Spring has been a somewhat elusive character around here. Case in point, Nashville recorded the coldest March on record in several decades. And this week, we will be lucky if the highs break 50 degrees. One good thing is that the flowering trees will hold their color a bit longer because of the chill, and that makes me happy.

In pursuit of our quixotic and unpredictable Spring, I found myself drawn to these lovelies from my perennial favorite shopping paradise, Etsy. It's a good thing that I do love to "window shop," which is definitely a good thing for the budget. Warning: Get ready, some of you will likely be tempted to BUY!

When I think of spring, I immediately think of flowers. This lovely little wreath offers a fresh take on the traditional spring florals!

Buy this lovely here

And what woman wouldn't want to add this gorgeous silk scarf that goes by the name of Forest Fairy to her wardrobe? The hues are exquisite. It is guaranteed to be a treasure for years to come, yet another reason to make it your own!

Find it here

Sometimes the sewing bug bites. Can't you just think of a hundred things that would look adorable in this adorable collection of perfect for spring fabrics from XOGigi!


Easter might be over, but I am betting that your table will be happier sporting this lovely quilted runner any time of the year! Sew You Like It has several lovely options from which to choose, but this one caught my eye!

I know, it's another table runner, but I could not resist. I am loving this clean vintage look for my kitchen table or my table on the porch.

North Country Comforts got it right!

This handpainted bone china teapot brings a smile to my face and definitely looks like an explosion of wildflowers waiting to be picked!

Kaori will gladly ship it to you from her shop in jolly ole England!

And what could be more appropriate than this watercolor print of two robins by Christy Dekoning entitled, "Spring Song!"

And now for the little people in your life...check out this adorable kite and cloud mobile

Find this lovely here

And speaking of kites, this dress from Belle and Boo is wooing this grandmother's heart...

I just couldn't resist sharing another view...

I don't know about you, but I am ready to fly some kites, plant some seeds and welcome the gentle touch of the sun on my face. C'mon, Spring...we are ready and waiting for you to arrive in all your glory!