Really Old Window

I totally forgot about Donna's themed link being windows. So, the procrastinator that I am will have to do a quick post so I can link up my window.

This window was taken from my sister's house when they were renovating it years ago. I posted about it here. I've never wanted to do anything to it because I love the wavy glass and the chipped old paint. Ok, so there is probably lead in those chips but I don't have babies anymore so it's okay. The window is over 160 years old!

I just like using it as a backdrop for decorating. I had it hanging with a chain at my old house but here I have it propped up on my yet to be painted mantel. Yes, Donna it's on my Gitter Done list. I have a very high mantel which I think needs large items. I like it with my son's black and white photography and right now it's sporting some summery star fish. Mixing the old with the new. I like that. So while it may not be a good functioning window anymore, it functions just fine for me.

I will be linking up to Funky Junk Saturday Nite Special themed link

When To Let It Go

This is a chair my sister gave me.....well I don't remember when. It sat like this in our basement in GA for years. I would put blankets on it to cover it but really, it was mostly the boys and their friends down there playing video games and they could care less.

I loved the shape of it and the channel back but that back scared me. I had no clue how to recover that. Oh, and I googled it believe me, I. google. everything. How much is that silver dish worth? Google. Need a recipe for red snapper? Google. Funny rash on your arm? well you get the picture.

So, I released the need to do it myself and I compromised. I would redo the frame and have someone else reupholster it. There are times you must admit it is beyond your skill level. Or require more time that you can give to it. You see, I didn't get around to deciding this until just months before we were to move to FL. Hubby was already living there and I was the one left to get the house on the market. And I was a fanatic when it came to getting everything just so. It was probably good we weren't living together at the time because we might not be married now. He would come home on most weekends to help but I was the one on hands and knees cleaning baseboards, filling trim with caulk, fixing holes in drywall and cleaning, painting, and more painting. I didn't sleep much but the house sold in a week. Yeah buddy, a week.

I don't have any during photos since this was before the wonderful world of blogging took over entered my life. But I first removed every one of those darn nail heads so that I could get to the frame better. I then sanded the frame and painted it a creamy white. I then took some burnt umber and watered it down and brushed on and wiped off. I really just aimed it at all the engraved swirly parts. I fiddled with it a bit to get it where I wanted.

The fabric I got at Fabric and Fringe. Gosh I miss that store. Isles and isles of fabric. It was heaven. The table is in line for some paint. Probably in the cream. I need to find new knobs. There is a drawer on the other side with a mismatched one. I found the little pillow at Target the other day. Loved the colors. Need to work on some other pillows for the couch. And by "work on" I mean sew out of the fabric I have stashed. Or.... maybe I'll just buy some.

Linking up to Miss Mustard Seed Furniture Feature Friday
                   Funky Junk Saturday Nite Special

Love The Gulf

I have always had a love of the gulf. I was born and raised in Clearwater.  I grew up going to the beach with my family. We would spend the day there until the mid afternoon rains would come like clock work. On the way home we would go through Farm Stores drive thru for bread, milk and ice cream. It was a ritual. We didn't even have to get out of the car.

I married and moved away. My husband was in the Air Force and we would be traveling a lot. Something I had looked forward to doing. But I began to miss my coastline. The relaxed and calm feeling I got from just being near the water. The sand under my feet, the sounds of the sea and the smell of the salt air were all things I needed. We have lived near lakes but it was not the same. Not the same feeling.

We tried to get stationed in Florida but it never happened. We got close and moved to Ocean Springs MS. It was great to be near the water again. But still we did not have those beautiful beaches like in FL. We would have to take the boat to the islands just off the coast to get to the clear blue waters. But it was fantastic to be on the water. The beauty of the open sea. Nothing quite like it.

It wasn't until we retired and my husband found a job in FL that we made it back here to the beautiful gulf coast. We are on the emerald coast this time. Different than where I grew up but beautiful none the less. As much as I had wanted be back once again near the water I had a difficult time with this move. Leaving two of my sons back in GA was the hardest thing for me. It's still hard. But I love the gulf and what if offers us. And now I can share that with my kids.

The beautiful sunsets it gives to us. The amazing wildlife that is on its shores and in its waters. Fishing is a part of life for so many. It it something we enjoy as a family and something so many depend on as their livelihood. That is all now threatened. What happens now I do not know. It saddens me to know that the oil is right around the corner from us. It saddens me to know so many already have been affected by this horrible tragedy and so many more to come. 

It must be kept out of our marshes and bayous. It will destroy too much. I hope that a solution can be found. Not only to keep it out but to stop it altogether. For I want the beautiful gulf to be around to share its splendor with not only my children but my grandchild to come.

I won!

Look what I won today! I was so excited to find out that I was the winner of Kristina's giveaway over at The Purple Pea. My very first win too. I think her jewelery organizer is just so cute. Kristina has a lot of great projects so you should stop over there and take a look.

The ampersand that she made is fantastic. It's a great Pottery Barn knock off. I love the size of it. It was her first time using her new jig saw too. Can you believe that? She has a link on her sidebar showing how she did it.

I just love this chair. It has such great detail and Kristina has a great tutorial on how she recovered the seat, piping and all here. Isn't it cute?

There is a lot more great stuff over there so I hope you will go look around for some ideas.
Thanks so much Kristina for having such a great giveaway!

I hope this means my luck was good today because I also entered for a trip to Italy. I had this email from Bertolli asking me to enter just after I found out I won this. Then, when I clicked on the link they were in Lucca which is where my family is from. Do you believe in fate? I've got my fingers crossed :)