Lent

Lent is coming to a close, Easter is almost here.

There have been years past that Easter Sunday coming was anticipated. Lent was celebrated well, thing sacrificed - the joy of "Sunday comin'" was a reality.

After college, things shifted. Some rather significant health issues, less structure to my schedule and then marriage and motherhood has quite altered my spiritual life. Partly in a good way, but what I once viewed as spiritual "discipline" is almost non-existent.

In a way, I'm okay with the life changes and adapting to my present. I adore attending my family and love my sweet, always-on-the-move child.

This Lent, I committed to a prayer time each day and I have failed. Sometimes unintentionally forgotten, sometimes completely selfishly chose my time rather than sacrificing it for a few precious, quiet moments with Him.

I confess.

It is not easy for me. It's also not easy for my disciplined, hard-working, type A personality to admit to what I see as failure.

And, again this year, my heart is unprepared for Easter.

LORD, have mercy on me, a sinner. 


***********
 
(For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Phil 2:13)

DIY antiqued antique mirror

So last summer I was scouring my in-laws old farm house (yet again!) after they'd cleaned out their attic. In amongst the treasures was a small old window. It just looked like a small window because you could see right through the glass, but on closer inspection, I realized that it was a mirror! Almost all of the silvering had come off (sniff!). The wood finish was cracking from changes in temperature and age and was so rustic and pretty looking.

When I went to wash off the grime with just a little water, the silvering completely cleaned off to show the quality beveled glass. And the wooden frame? You would have to break wood off the back to get the glass out, so I wanted the glass to stay.

But I wanted it to be a mirror. Hmm.

I looked into re-silvering but had a terrible time finding someone to do it. The man I talked to literally said that everyone that used to do it was dead. The reason no one does it anymore is because the chemicals used to take the old silvering off were banned because of how crazy dangerous they are! However, since my mirror was already de-silvered, I just needed the mirror coating put back on.

No luck.

I did talk to a guy who wanted about $200 for an un-perfected silvering method he was working on. I said, "Uh, no thanks."

Then I ran into an online tutorial (the link is for a more recent version) for a similar, albeit faux, look with Looking Glass spray paint from the hobby store.

$7 with coupon? Yes, please!

I broke it out last weekend to *finally* work on this long-time-coming DIY and here is the result.

I didn't re-read the tutorial before I got into it, and I wish I would've. I followed the instructions on the can to use 5 thin coats instead of the one thick coat Jenny recommends. I think the bright sunshine plus the extra time sealed in some of the smaller droplets I would've liked to rubbed off. Oh well.

It was also difficult to see exactly where all of the water/vinegar drops landed and I think I would've made some of them a little less uniform for a more authentic look.

I topped it off with a few coats of black spray paint (so instead of seeing through the spots where the looking glass spray was wiped away, it would look black like an antique mirror) and added two small eye hooks and a picture hanging wire. 

Overall I'm pleased! My "new" mirror has found a home on the wall near our bed. I'm working on a several more changes before I reveal the whole bedroom look (if I can call it that, ha!). So stay tuned!

:-)

a little Easter shop update (4/14)

I haven't had a shop update in awhile! Easter seemed like an appropriate time to get a few fun little things out even though baby clothing sales are down. ;-)

Some cute pieces! Click over here to browse.

Easter is coming!

simplicity as spiritual discipline

Leisure is a mental and spiritual attitude ... not the result of spare time ... it is an attitude of the mind, a condition of the soul ... it implies an inward calm, of silence. It means not being "busy" but letting things happen. Leisure is a form of silence, of that silence which is the prerequisite of the apprehension of reality. Only the silent hear, and those who do not remain silent do not hear. ... Silence here does not mean noiselessness; it means more nearly that the soul's power to answer to the reality of the world is left undisturbed.

-German philosopher, Josef Pieper (Leisure, the Basis of Culture)

once an ottoman, twice DIYed

Over three years ago, I redid our sadly chewed up Target storage ottoman with a slip cover. It was literally the only piece of furniture we bought after we got married. (sniff) Of course, the puppy chewed that one.

After using it daily, the cover needed a wash, so I did. But I'd forgotten that I didn't preshrink the fabric the first time around, so ... it shrunk. Ugh.

Oh well, we kept using it.

And then it got really, really dirty (think toddler, dog, husband, me...) and began to come apart in places and it was time for a change.

(problem) Not to mention, I was struggling with solutions for toy storage space ...  I had thought about an open coffee table with rolling crates underneath, a different coffee table and storage crates beside the couch, a vintage trunk, etc.

A couple of friends nixed the vintage trunk route because the lids are often very heavy and suggested a storage ottoman. Yes, well, I have a storage ottoman but it is being used to house photos and a few wedding memorabilia. And the slip cover is a pain and a half to get off/get on every time my toddler wants to get in it. It just wouldn't be good for toys.

*******

(solutions) A couple of weeks later, I thought, "Why not use it and just change it up? Isn't that what I've been talking about on my blog?!" So I scanned all of the old photos except for one album from my travels in Europe from 2006 and our wedding album. 360+ photos are gone from my life but still accessible on the computer. Decluttering is beautiful.

I made room in my linen closet for the wedding box.

And then I decided to rip the upholstery off the ottoman and slap some wood slats on the outside for a completely different look. Storage for toys that looks a lot better than it did. Away with thee, slipcover!!

Ladybug and I went to visit my parents over spring break, so I decided to shove the torn-apart ottoman in the back of the car and ask my dad to help me fix it up.

My idea: slap some wood on the outside, maybe sand and stain.

My Dad's idea: un-upholster the entire thing, take it completely apart, cut it down so the lid would fit with an extra 3/4" of wood added to the outside, put the box back together and then painstakingly fit each piece of wood to the outside.

Of course, we did it the right way.

Here goes!


First, we took all of the upholstery off (including all 1,000 staples) and took the entire box apart to hopefully reuse. Then we cut about 1-1/2" off each piece and used an electric nail gun to put it back together (yay!). We put the inside upholstery back in as we went.

Each board was cut at a 45 degree angle (LOTS of 45 degree angles, compound angles, too) to create an interesting pattern and then we glued and fitted pieces of free oak flooring - leftover from a kitchen flooring project - to cover the entire ottoman. This about tripled its weight. In a good way. 

After piecing it all together, it the edges weren't totally even, so we took the circular saw and evened out the top and bottom edges. While cutting the pieces, we were reminded to not cut pieces of wood that are too small. Right, Dad?

And here it is!! After I took it home, I sanded it, stained it with Dark Walnut and sealed it with three coats of polycrylic.

I had to make-do with the upholstery, so I covered up the lip with brown scraps and re-stapled the inside upholstery up. Final step was to screw the legs back in and install a length of chain since the lid mechanism didn't work with the new, smaller box size. I don't love seeing the staples, but it really isn't a big deal as the lid is closed most of the time.

And the toys are officially hidden from sight!

Finally, a satisfactory solution to my toy dilemma. It's a more masculine look than I usually go for, but I really like it. And it's still very comfy to prop up on and type a blog post (wink).

 With a 5x7 clearance jute rug from Target, I think it looks smashing!

Third time's a charm?

I sure hope so.

Wealth: Is it just about money?

One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
    another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. (Prov 13:7)

__________________________________________________________________________________


 What defines wealth? Who defines it for you?

While I've pondered this, I'm reminded of a blog post about the richness of India and my thought that the poor in Haiti may just be richer spiritually as a result of their complete reliance on the provision of God.

I've observed the inability of many to say no and the desperate need for time and space in our lives.

The desperate need for time and space in my life.

Last week I accidentally, yet so easily, overscheduled myself and found that I was having difficulty concentrating, being motivated and was waking up several times during the night because of stress! This is exactly what I've been trying to avoid.

"There are many other ways to measure and experience quality of life besides material wealth: time affluence, the joy and contentment of health, strong bonds with other people, civic participation, creativity, kindness, autonomy, security, serenity, generosity, wisdom and so on. Yet these forms of real wealth are often neglected as we chase from one job, errand or appointment to another, trying to buy what we could obtain far more directly if the story had a different plot and our system was set up differently."
Less is More (p. 216)

And I want to change my thinking. I want to look at a gorgeous house and appreciate it, but not be dissatisfied with my own. I want to be able to trade income (money) for more time and truly believe I am richer for it. I want to be rich in love (Ps. 145:8) rather than things.

If only I wasn't running against the tide, trying to redefine these things for myself. If only society (and, yes, I am generalizing) considered wealth to be more than just big houses, nice clothes, and lots of stuff. If only I wasn't so easily sucked into that definition of success!


Thus, this is my goal. To be "wealthy" in time, in space, in breath, in contentment with what I have (to want what I have), in relationship and family, in my creative endeavors, and richness in Christ.

easy DIY skeleton key art

I have a little DIY art project to share today with skeleton keys.

I've been sort of drooling over skeleton keys and my in-laws picked some up for me at a flea market/antique store last fall. I saw this idea on Pinterest and decided to try it out.

I'd had some framed square pictures with dried flowers and a Bible verse in it - they were a wedding gift and something that was nice, but just not my style to begin with, but I'd hung them on the kitchen wall because I could (note to self: not a very good reason). I was considering buying some frames for my skeleton key art when I remembered these lonely frames!

The art was easily removed and I popped the glass out. I trimmed a small piece of white burlap to fit the square, and then I just refitted the glass and a piece of cardboard to the back - that way if I want to redo these frames again (or donate/sell them), the exact glass is there, but doesn't bother me a bit in the meantime. I flipped them over and hot glued the keys straight to it. That's it!

 I rehung them next to my DIY kitchen pegboard and their value has increased 100 times to me - even though it didn't cost me anything at all. (And I actually like them now, ha!)

 Don't you love the keys' character?

Rustic: a practice in imperfection

In writing about simplicity, I want to be mindful of how I approach these subjects. Often I find myself focusing on the negative, i.e. what we shouldn't do, as opposed to what we can say yes to while living in the same way. In the future, I hope that I can present my ideas in a positive light, not pushing right vs. wrong ways of living on people, but rather sharing my own values. 

_________________________________________

That said, I have tended toward perfection in my life, and eventually I realized it has been more trouble to my mental health than it is worth. There is freedom in letting perfection go and embracing imperfection. Please don't read this as "letting things go" and therefore, apathy. I still believe in quality. It just doesn't need to be perfect. Releasing myself from the intense pressure of perfection has been a soulful and spiritual act, one that I still find myself embracing over and over.

When I was creating for the Market, every once in awhile I would view my work with a critically perfectionistic eye and wonder if anyone in the world would want what I was making ... and then I would remind myself that quality, not perfection, was the goal. I seriously considered making a sign that said "rustic: a practice in imperfection" and shoo-ing away anyone that wanted factory-made perfection. I didn't, but the idea stuck with me.

Then, very recently, when I was reading about Simplicity, I came upon the Japanese idea of "wabi-sabi" - and this is just what I appreciate about the lasting quality of rustic, vintage, and beautiful things.

"Wabi-sabi is imperfect: a beloved chipped vase or a scarred wooden table. This getting-away-from-perfect is one of the wabi-sabi's most appealing facets. It means you can keep the tablecloth even though it's fraying on the edges and admire the rug as it fades from brilliant red to pale rose. You can let things be."
Less is More (pg 160)

source

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"Pared down to its barest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It's simple, slow and uncluttered - and it reveres authenticity above all. Wabi-sabi is flea markets, not warehouse stores; aged wood, net Pergo; rice paper, not glass. It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time, weather, and loving use leave behind. It reminds us that we are all but transient beings on this planet - that our bodies as well as the material world around us are in the process of returning to the dust from which we came. Through wabi-sabi, we learn to embrace liver spots, rust and frayed edges and the march of time they represent." (You can read this and more about wabi-sabi here or just Google it.) 

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This is what I find to be beautiful, you may not and that's okay. There are many different kinds of beautiful things and in that, I rejoice. The main draw for me is reclaiming items instead of buying new and continuing in the culture of brand-new, perfection-based consumerism. This also perpetuates the Haitian saying, "De ga je" - using what you have and the creativity that comes.

International Upcycling: Carolina in Costa Rica

A good friend from Haiti visited Kansas City last summer and while I was talking with him about transitioning my third world perspective to first world living, he told me of a Costa Rican friend who upcycles plastic bottles into flower accessories. Of course, I was intrigued (another country? upcycling? two of my favorite topics!), so I got the whole story recently to share with you. 

Here's the scoop: Carolina Leon Castro is a Costa Rican who studied pharmacy, and makes upcycled accessories from plastic bottles. How does she do it? After retrieving an old plastic bottle (the bumpy bottom kind), she cuts off the base, forms "petals" in the plastic and then melts it into shape with a candle. Then she paints it, glues on the details/hardware and voilà! Something pretty - from trash, no less.

She sold some of these "upcycled" jewelry treasures that she made in order to go on a medical mission trip to Haiti with some other Latino doctors and my friend, Brendan, in August 2010. She's featured them in some art shows, was interviewed on a local television show and helped teach a little workshop to some kids in the barrio where Brendan lives. Here are a couple of photos from a workshop.

Brendan also told me that Costa Rica, incidentally, has a "culture" of "upcycling"/recycling stuff you throw away to do neat little crafts and home-made solutions. It's a very common practice, and kids learn to do it early on in school. It's about being resourcefulness and caring for their environment, because they're very proud of their country's natural beauty. To not be environmentally conscious in Costa Rica would be equivalent to being careless and wasteful with your money in the States.

story and photos courtesy of Brendan Blowers (San José, Costa Rica) and Carolina's facebook page

*free* necklace hanger DIY

I've been working on decluttering again (I feel like I was just doing a big sweep, but the need comes around so quickly!) ... this time, visually. My craft/vanity side of the bedroom is probably the most cluttered area of my house and it has gotten to the point of driving me crazy. Here's a good peek at how it's been for quite awhile. My scarves were getting out of control.

Here's a little snippet of my progress! A DIY necklace hanger made from a leftover piece of pine 1x2 and some picture hangers.

Inspiration came from this post over at Little Green Notebook. (Have you checked out her blog? It's amazing. She's totally a professional interior designer, and has some incredible stuff going on, but she's also down-to-earth with some pretty doable DIYs. Check. her. out.) I even went right out and bought those little mug hangers.

And then I remembered a TON of picture hangers I had from a freebie my mom scored at her local hardware store. Those hangers, along with a free sample of Valspar and a leftover 1x2 ... a free necklace hanger for me!

Mint and gold anyone?!

 I first tried laying them out at about 1/2" apart and then realized that it was too squished. So I marked little dots at 3/4" apart with a measuring tape and started pounding them in.

As you can see, they aren't perfect. At first, I thought it was my less-than-perfect hammer wielding skills combined with the odd nail angle of picture hangers, but then I compared several and realized they aren't even uniformly made. So, I tossed perfection out the door and just did the best I could. I had to use a few bigger ones to fill the space, so each of my pretties would have a hook, and I'm so pleased!

Can it get any better than less clutter and free?! I think not! :-)

eat seasonally, valentine ...

Valentine's day is this Friday. (Happy heart day!) I'm not a huge celebrator of this holiday of Love, but I do remember candy hearts and making valentine bags for collecting cards/candy in elementary school. It was definitely not the day to be sick at school! One year, my best friend bought me a surprise carnation and I was so happy. I ran up the stairs to show my mom and tripped up one of the last steps ... the flower snapped off right at the blossom! Ugh ... I was seriously devastated.

(This klutz still trips up the stairs, but you didn't hear that from me.)

All of that to say, holidays are high time for eating. And, most likely, not seasonally. For instance, I literally just saw a local advertisement for a pound of strawberries at $1.88 this week.

Um, it's February.

There is snow on the ground.

No Kansas strawberries in sight. 

strawberries from our garden, last June

Oh, they're in Kansas, all right. Waiting patiently at the grocery store. For all of us loves to come, buy and consume with chocolate.

Personally, I'm not buying strawberries this year. Not only because they are on the "dirty" list, but mostly because they aren't in season.

I love this quote from an essay in Less is More,

As Helen (Nearing) put it, "There is something extravagant and irresponsible about eating strawberries in January." When I first heard this comment, I was a bit put off: I found it quote ascetic and demanding. But now, although my own gardening and eating practices are never quote as pure, I understand more fully what she means. Eating in line with the season is eating on nature's time, not on culture's consumptive clock. No wonder that the kale we harvested from our garden this week tastes so sweet. We ate in step with the heartiness of kale in autumn, in step with the November frosts that kiss the bitterness off of the leaves.

There is something so right about eating seasonally. But it is so difficult- especially in the winter and when growing in Kansas is very difficult. Almost anything and everything is available in grocery stores year-round ... we are so spoiled. Spoiled to the point of not even knowing, much less caring, about eating with the seasons. Mostly, I fall into this category.

I don't have the chance to grow and/or store a ton of food. So, what are your tips for eating seasonally? Help!

Montessori kitchen help: peeling carrots

I love that Montessori activities are geared toward a lot of practical activities. First, because they teach kids to do every day things, and then, because it's not a long, drawn out, have-to-prepare-lots-in-advance-for thing. This Mama likes that.

Take peeling carrots for example. We needed more carrots to munch on - I buy the larger carrots because they are cheaper and dip sticks better to them than packaged baby carrots (or so my husband says). But, we do have to peel and cut those guys and my daughter can help! (Even in her "wedding" dress.)

One of the books I read suggested letting eighteen month olds do that. Um, no thanks (that blade is sharp, even if I'm standing right there!), but I'll let my three-year-old do it. (What?! Would you let a baby have a vegetable peeler??)

Other safe kitchen activities:

- peeling carrots, duh
- measuring ingredients (baked goods are great!)
- cutting up a banana with a blunt knife for a snack
- spreading peanut butter/jelly on a sandwich
- pouring a drink for themselves


Any other kitchen ideas (for preschoolers) I've not covered?

$10 Kitchen Update

There is a reason I've not shown you my kitchen before.

Well, at least this side of my kitchen. (Here's the other side.)

It's UGLY, honeys. And hardly has any counter space. And we're not allowed to touch it ... even thought it would look about a million times better with a nice coat of white paint and new hardware. 

So, I've been working on living well in my space, brainstorming ideas of how I can better enjoy my space. (On a very limited budget, mind you.) Last week I came across some DIYs of rented kitchens and started to look up different cupboard transformation ideas. Contact paper comes up a lot, but it supposedly leaves residue. Yuck.

There are $99 rolls of removeable vinyl/contact paper stuff, $50 rolls of Sherwin Williams removeable wallpaper ... or ...

wait for it (!)...



The ever baffling $3 washi tape. I still don't have the slightest clue why it's so popular, but I have found a use for washi tape after all!!

 Mindblowing, right?

Okay, not so much, but for $10 and 3 rolls of green faux woodgrain washi tape, my kitchen feels fresher and more fun.

You'll see that I left it off the lower cupboards. I have a 3 year old who just decimated the $40 wall vinyl I quite lovingly stood at 38 weeks pregnant and hung after 11 weeks of bedrest ...

That's why.

Our cupboards are flat, so I just outlined them with four pieces of tape. They aren't perfect (and neither are the cupboards - case in point above!) but you can't tell from a distance. I considered measuring and putting the squares in a little bit, but yeah right!? How's a 20 minute project compared to a 2-3 hour one? The first, please!

Last question - should I twine the hardware or not? Vote in the comments - please! I need your opinion. :-) 

:-)