my rustic side of life...

Help yourself to a chocolate chip muffin puck

{my chickadees love the tops of muffins, so thats how I make my muffins, therefore we call muffins pucks.... I tell you this in case you were worried that I'd lost it for a moment... which I may have!!! giggles}

Anyhow, this is how I love to live... mixing my love of different styles,


here are some of my favorite things all together



more texture the better for me...



These are some of my latest "rustic finds" mixed with items I've already had....




Here we go...



I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was finding two wooden tool boxes!!



Okay let me collect myself... or stuff a puck in my mouth...



I know some may think why would I be so excited over tool boxes...



let me set the scene of how they can and will be used.



Down the middle of my dinning room table filled with goodies.. for Thanksgiving throw in handfuls of gourds, mini pumpkins, pansies and walla you have a easy peasy centerpiece.



Or for a fun breakfast buffet fill it with bowls of fresh granola, muffins pucks, bagels.... and have all your guests help themselves to a buffet breakfast...


if I can get my hands on some Paperwhite Narcissus bulbs I would fill it with different size vintage teacups and plant Paperwhites bulbs in the teacups...


can you just picture the beautiful box filled delicate white flowers and place it on a kitchen island!!! i can go on an on with more ideas but I know everyone is busy with turkey day fast approaching so I'll move right along...






Cigar boxes, I know I can't help it I think they are rather cool, roll your eyes but I do!


One will be used on my husband desk... for his collection of business cards that never find there way into the business card holder he has... you know all that stuff that comes out of the pockets that if I throw away he will sure to ask where was that receipt for such and such i put on my desk... yes i have been guilty of tossing receipts when I clean... oh so sorry!!! Here is one of his Christmas gifts... shh don't tell!!


I love collecting stationary, note cards... perfect spot to store all my favorite paper goods... and when I received notes from friends or family.


By the way, if the wooden box is not your taste hit it with some spray paint or decoupage with your favorite paper... music sheets would look so cute! Yikes, I'm getting giddy over all the ways they can be used!!

With winter fast approaching I pulled in my rustic plant stand that's spent the good part of the year outside and decided to use inside for the cold months...


just cause!!! and sure enough it holds my galvanized mini buckets... to hold all sort of goodies, plus I love the chippy rusty white!!! Not to mention I love the scale when I placed it on the table... wait till hubby gets home from is trip! I'm sure he'll ask why a plant stand is on the table {and I might add he never knew why I liked this chip rusty stand in the first place... so wait till he sees I brought it in}


I've always told him I'm full of surprises!!!


Here is another idea I came up with while junking...

I was digging around in a box of old kitchen utensils and found these black measuring spoons! Sweet!!!

You see there is a certain child of mine that has thrown away half of my spoons... he {oops I think you now know for i only have one "he" child}

anyway he loves yogurt and when he tosses the empty yogurt container he was throwing away the spoon with it!

I didn't know this until I kept coming up short when setting the table and finally caught him in on the act. he thought he was being helpful!!

Yep, that's all it took to melt my heart and say it's okay!

Plus it gave me a reason to get so excited over these teaspoons.


You see when company flocks over during the holidays, I will use these measuring spoons for them to stir their coffee or tea!!

I know they'll think I gave them these spoons by accident and wont say anything.

They'll just think I'm so busy I must not have realized my error, but you and I will know I did it on purpose... more giggles!!! For this just makes me so happy!!!



Now to round out my table I had to add the Homer Laughlin teapot I found when I came across the tool boxes and cigar boxes...

because a holiday table is not complete without a teapot!!

And for you non tea drinkers toss a bouquet of your favorite flowers in the pot and just dig in to the muffin pucks!!

By the way feel free to ask me for more ideas...

I haven't even had my second cup of caffeine yet and I've only had one puck....

I'm sure I'll have plenty more ideas once the sugar and caffeine collide!!!

Until then, have a chocolate chip kind of day... full of sweetness, mixed with your creativity and magic will happen!!! I promise!!!

my cup runneth over with ideas....

As promised, I finally focused long enough to snapped a few pictures of my recent junking outing!

I am so glad I did because now I'm all bubbly with excitement!

My ideas are flowing in harmony rather than in a scattered mess...

geesh my brain was stuck in spin cycle for much to long...

but not to worry all, I am back on track with vigor and ready to spill!

To some it may seem funny but for me everything I find junking to place in my home and am now beginning to selling at LuLu & Co. has to have a meaning for me.

When I pick something up my mind immediately thinks of the perfect scenario for the piece...

On this day it felt like I hit the jackpot with silver... warn tarnished beautiful in it's aged state that spoke to my heart....

I love colliding rustic with formal....

I'm a eclectic mix girl of natural elements tossed with splashes of color meets Tiffany's to be used everyday...

I picture the silver stand filled with ornaments or marshmallows for the hot chocolate bar...

The coffee pots filled with roses scattered throughout the home to brighten a room with cheer or grouped together as the centerpiece on the breakfast table...

to start the day with a smile.... for each day is special and should be celebrated as the chickadees eat their Cheerios and I sip on my latte...

The ice bucket.... which I just so happened to have found two of the exact style at two different places... double the joy in that one...

I plan on placing a boxwood tree in both to be used in my window ledge or mantel...

This week I am going put a Charlie Brown tree {branches from the forest in my backyard} in it filled with Spanish moss and place it on my kitchen island for Thanksgiving with thankful words hanging off it...

or I think it would be the sweetest gift to a teacher for it reminds me of a very large trophy

how cute would it look with a ribbon and tag hanging off it saying, " The Worlds Best"!

Do you see the itty bitty salt shaker...

It's my new obsession to collect... it's my only one I have found thus far but look out I'm on the hunt for more...

not only do I think it's so darn charming but I immediately thought of giving it to a friend with a little ribbon and tags that says, " you add seasoning to my life" "a dash of sunshine to my day" "life is richer place because of you"....

I guess I'm a word girl.... words behind a gift or something for my home mean so much more to me...

Now tomorrow I will show you my rustic side...

which has me just as giddy!!!

Wishing you a full day of wordly goodness!!!

finding beauty...

it's been one of those weeks when my mind doesn't turn off...
I have so many ideas, thoughts, projects, holiday stuff pinging around like a ping pong ball going on in my head..
back and forth.... back and forth...
usually when this occurs I become frustrated and annoyed with myself.
I typically want the "noise" inside my head to hurry up and settle down so I can focus on one task...

this week not so much....
I didn't feel the need to calm the noise so I could hurry up and get on task...
like the rain we have been having for 3 days straight I didn't wish it away,
I accepted the "noise"
I accepted the thoughts
I embraced the rain, lit the candles, played the music that suited the rainy weather.
I've come to realize somethings are best not forced
just let the ideas settle themselves down
and when the calmness comes, as it always does
I'll know what task or project to tackle
it'll feel right, not rushed...
I don't feel the need to hurry my thoughts along because if I hurry my way through the things I love to do
I will miss the opportunity to enjoy the moment.


On Wednesday my husband had the day off, but our daughters had school, we looked at each other with our own lists a mile long and tossed them aside for a day to just be...
We dropped them off at school..
bundled our little guy up and headed for the city for a rainy day of junking!!!
Oh my word, we haven't done that in, it feels like, along time.
Our time in the city was limited, but it didn't matter...
we took what we could get and enjoyed our time together with our son.

So here I am with my mind still a flutter but so content in finding beauty in just being...

It's Friday after all... sweet beauty all around for that alone!!! Hello weekend ....

P.S. in case you were wondering if I found anything in my outing the answer is a big old Y E S!!

I have to unload my memory card on my camera and then I promise to snap some pictures...

color swatches of paint chips are already fanning themselves around in my head.... pure delight!!

{images from Country Living Magazine}

Happy Friday everyone...

full heart ...

{Country Living}

My heart is overflowing...

with words of thank you to everyone!

Wise and kind heartfelt thoughts shared....

I felt so blessed.

Through the tears of sadness I celebrated...

the goodness in everyone's heart.

Today, I am energized... ideas are overflowing... I have so much I want to accomplish...

Look out Tuesday...

here I come, with my paint brush in hand to add color to the day!!

Circle of Life....

A tribute to my grandmother, the woman I called Nanny.

Yesterday I received word that my grandmother passed away in her sleep with my grandfather by her side. I found such comfort knowing she was at home with her true love by her side. Their love for each other is a love story....

growing up my grandmother loved to tell the story of their first date over and over again and I never tired hearing it....

her face lit up each time she retold the tale....

because of them I grew up knowing, firmly believing true love does exist in this world and is alive and strong no matter what the statistics are.... the unconditional love for another human being is attainable.

During the past few months of my grandmother's decline, my mom would call me and tell me she just left her parent's home from a day of watching over them and this is the image she describe...

my 93 year old grandfather holding my 92 year old grandmother's hand sitting on the couch with their foreheads touching the entire day....

every time I think if this the lump in my throat forms and the tears flow freely not for sadness but for pure happiness that these two amazing individuals had this kind of LOVE...

Who was my grandmother...

a daughter

a wife

a nurse

a mother to three fantastic daughters

a grandmother to 16 grandchildren

a great grandmother to 29 great grandchildren

She was loved by us all, what an amazing legacy.

She was a devout Catholic,

the original queen of foofing her home, she loved to decorate her house.

She loved peppermint candies, gingersnaps and always had tins of shortbread cookies stacked in her cupboards.

She had a passion for nursing and caring for the sick.... she never left home without her blood pressure cuff...{ when my husband and I finally made contact yesterday the first thing he said was that he remembered when he met her for the first time.. she took his blood pressure...

we both burst out laughing... for you knew you were loved when she asked to take your blood pressure!}





My grandmother is now dancing with the angles along with her parents and I believe she can hear me say,

"I love you, thank you for loving me and bring me joy my entire life. It was truly a privilege to be called your granddaughter."

My heart today is full of gratitude for the woman I called, Nanny

Wishing you all a day of celebration for the journey of life, may you dance your way through the weekend,

oh how my Nanny loved to dance....

a day in my life...

Have I ever told you I love the phone...

I love to hear the voice of a family member, friend...

maybe I love the phone cause growing up computers were not in homes and it was the only way to communicate...

right now i especially love cell phones...

my little guy has a very bad case of bronchitis and when one of my babies is sick I reach for the phone...

I speed dial my hubby's cell phone no matter where he is to tell him we have a sick child..

I'm the mom who as I walk to radiology I have the phone in my hand calling my go to guy to give him a update, it links us when we are so far apart... just to hear his voice {most times I get his voice mail but it's still his voice}... and all is well.

I also call when I'm bursting with excitement, with good news and just a spontaneous question that can't wait till he gets home.

Yesterday, the phone rang..

I picked it up and said "hello"

on the line was a friend and she said, " Hi, what are you doing?
My response was, "feeling mischievous!"

she said, "oh no, I'm hanging up right now!"

I couldn't help it, when i have a sick child and they are resting I get restless energy!
I had to do something constructive... which, for me, means cleaning, painting or in this case staring a my latest completed project.....

Look at this "tall old screen door" that came off a farm house!!!

When I saw it leaning against a building I began to stutter....

mind you when I first spotted it, it had the original screen in place...

I know, where's the before picture....

sometimes i just get to excited to start a project to reach for the camera!



I just attacked it...

cut away the dry rotting screen,

took the whole door to a glass company for them to measure and cut 3 mirrors to fit into the door...

I washed the grim off the door. Placed the mirrors into place with mirror clips and stepped back to look at it.

It had been outside for such a long time it was layered in grim, but I am thrilled that it was...

look at what the sun did to the original paint...

it aged it to create the perfect color!!!



Are you thinking what I'm thinking?



How am I ever going to part with this tall beauty!!! My heart is completely smitten...



don't worry.... the minute I see someones face light up the way mine did I'll know it's found the perfect home and I'll gladly hand it over.... after I hug it tightly!!!

a few times...

they'll probably have to pry my fingers off it and say, "alright already, LuLu, you can visit it anytime you want"...

I just may have them sign a promise note to that one!

haPPy Wednesday!

a note to November...

Dear November,


You snuck up on me...

you came knocking on my door sooner than expected.

My first instinct was to shut the door.


To ask you to come back in a week when I feel more ready, maybe when the Halloween candy is gone...


But you came at the perfect time.


I was calm, the sky was dark, the grass was damp.


I was outside walking our dog while my chickadees were asleep and there was one light on...


my bedroom light...


where my husband was packing his bags for a trip and I heard you whisper in my ear...


be grateful.


My whole attitude shifted...


I got the message loud and clear.


I stayed out longer than Lily, my dog, thought I would.


She was wondering why i wasn't rushing back inside like normal...


I really looked at the sky, listened to the night sounds, walked amongst the fallen leaves and stared at my home until i was ready...


In I came,


up the stairs i climb and I sat on the floor and folded my husbands clothes, packed then gently in his luggage and we talked...


about an email he just received informing him of funeral arraignments for a fellow Marine that will be held on Friday at Arlington National Cemetery...


we did not know him personally but it affects you just the same.


His is a Marine, he is part of the Marine Corps family we are apart of.


He will be laid to rest next to the friends we have lost.


We talked about the times we have traveled to Arlington, the memories we have, the friends we have lost and heard Taps being played. I cannot hear Taps without crying...


Walk the sacred grounds.


We packed and talked...


So I'm making you a promise...


I'm in with both feet and an open heart...


for the whole month...


I'm completely present, I'm listening...


Welcome November I am so grateful to see YoU I can't wait to see what you have in store for me!





I received a real note in the mail on Saturday, Halloween night, from Koralee and saved it for a quiet moment...


i made a grande cinnamon dolce latte for the special occasion...


sat on the couch and gently opened my letter...


I didn't want to rip the envelope it was so pretty...


in her own handwriting a note to me...


What a wonderful way to start my November


Thank You Koralee for my special note you brought a smile to my day and warmed my heart!

I am so grateful to the blog friends I have made and I wish you all a wonderful month...

it's going to be good... let the festivities begin!!!

nesting problems....

{ inspirational photo from Country Living}

Oh no...

two days of foofing,

eating soup and pumpkin bread has awoken my nesting mood!

This is not good!

When I get in these moods I wish I took wood shop in school, and paid more attention in sewing class than talking.... {yes, I took sewing in High School but confess that i took it with my 5 best friends and somehow they sewed and I talked my way through the class....}

Over dinner last night I not so subtle asked my 2 daughters, who share a room, what do they think of the color gray...

and what do they think if I painted their room gray...

they shot down that idea so fast my spoon was still midway to my mouth and I'm fairly certain I had the saddest look on my face for they tried to explain to me they thought it was a mommy color....

really, are you sure, I can make anything look zippy and your kind of color if you let me paint your room gray!

You will love it when I'm done....

ummm, no.

I was rather pathetic cause no sooner did I swallow my soup I quickly turned to my oldest daughter and said, I can't paint your room gray, give it a whole new look, new bedding... hip, sophisticated, you are the oldest after all!

what do you say, I can start tomorrow!

ummm, no.

Shot down twice!

I look to my son...

shook my head and thought better of asking him. He was happily eating a cookie and i thought bribing him with another one would be shameless on my part and I already love his room.

Seriously...

I pouted my way through cleaning the kitchen,

tucked the chickadees into bed,

and planned my next move...

waited for darling husband to come home...

no sooner did he arrive home I rushed over to kiss him hello, asked the normal questions...

how was your day and what do you think if I painted our bedroom?

he looked at me and said, "I like our room just the way it is."

This time I was thinking on my feet, so i replied,

Okay, well what do you think of me changing our island countertop to butcher block and then adding beadboard, bolder trim....

and finishing it off with a contrasting paint color?

He just smirked at me and said, "Can we go to bed?"

"Well yes we can, but you still didn't answer my question!"

I guess I have my work cut out for me and I obviously need to work on my persuasive skills...

Here's to fabulous Thursday and a day of strategically planning my next attempt!

time to just be....

at home... {image from Cottage Living}

Balancing life is a constant challenge...
Today I want and need to foof the house.
I need it for myself, to reconnect to my core, my home...
I want to bake some pumpkin bread,
I want to put a pot of soup on to simmer.
I want my family to return home from their day to smells of delicious "Fall" in the home,
to feel wrapped in warmth and love...
yes, today is the day all about HOME!

It's going to be a GOOD day!!!

16....

years ago today...
23 day of October 1993 was the day my journey as a Mrs. began...


As i awoke today, 16 years later I began my morning with laughter...
It was a morning full of chaos....



rushing, packing lunches, quizzing my first grader with spelling words and reviewing for her religion quiz, looking for a lost sock and library book, signing papers, everyone talking at once, and my husband grabbing a yogurt from the fridge to dash off to work... he just arrived home from a few days of travel to our normal routine of morning chaos !



We looked at each other amongst the noise, smiled at each other and mouthed "happy anniversary thank you for my delicious breakfast," {this is our inside joke to each other because we dream about having a gourmet breakfast with mimosas and fresh squeezed orange juice served on the veranda...} that has never happened in 16 years... we pretend one day it will, so in the mean time we pretend a breakfast bar and a yogurt is our romantic breakfast for 2!







As I went about the motions of getting everyone loaded in the car for the morning drive to school i was lost in thought about that day....



the day of my wedding...



and what memories came to mind as I drove.



the first one being the toast the best man gave. He referenced the book, "Harold and the Purple Crayon" and he told the small audience of invited guests that my husband now has his purple crayon.... if you are not familiar with the book, Harold can do anything, create what he needs with his purple crayon.



All things are possible for Harold with his crayon in his hand....



That day I may have been refereed to as a crayon,



but 16 years later we are each others purple crayon....






it's even more true today than ever...


this year has brought us great changes...


his new command is more demanding than ever before...


and I chose this time,of all times, to leap for my dream,
but I thought why not, hold on tight to my crayon and just go for it.

We've built our foundation of 16 years on love, understanding, bumps in the road, fertility struggles, losses, 4 births that have been our biggest miracle, moves, happiness, change, lots of laughter, and respect for each other...


because on that day we knew we were making the commitment to "draw" our journey of life together!

Happy Friday,

here's to everyone having a purple crayon in their life...

dream it, draw it, live it with your special purple crayon.

a chance encounter....

that has left me thinking about life....

Unexpected things have been happening ever since I stood in the pouring freezing rain...
{completely unexpected things!}

It all began with a "chance encounter" in the pouring rain on Saturday at the flea market.
It was mid-morning the rain was slowly taking over my little booth and a petite lady in a bright pink rain coat came dashing over to seek shelter from the rain in my booth.

She said to me, "I was told that you may have a triple dresser"?

I just so happened to have finished painting one a few days ago, but due to the weather I didn't bring it!

I gave her my phone number with words of her calling me and off she dashed into the rain.

I thought of her, but really wasn't sure if she would call me...

On Monday afternoon the phone rang and it was this sweet lady inquiring about my dresser and if she could stop by that afternoon at 4:00 PM for a look.



She arrived and this is the dresser that greeted her...

she took one look at it and said, "It's perfect, I'll take it!"

and now I'm sitting her thinking about how life works, how a chance encounter has now linked 2 people...
one person in search for a triple dresser and one person in the midst of building a dream...

one week ago we didn't know each other, today she is a friend!

To Market, To Market....

I went....
in 36 degree temperature and pouring rain....
it never stopped pouring, not once, for 2 days it rained....
that I needed an arch!
but I had an amazing time because I am doing what I love.
Following your dream gets you through the not best of circumstances,
it thaws the cold that has seeped into your bones,
it makes you laugh when your feet goosh into mud, and when your canopy starts to leak,
who would stand out in weather conditions that would keep any normal person in bed or in front of a roaring fire with a hot mug of goodness in your hands...
Me, that's who and my sweet friend who I have mentioned is not a junk loving girl, who does not have a passion for flea markets, but will stand in the rain with me because she believes in my dream and is always telling me you can do this, it's what you were meant to do....
that's who!
Who would get out of bed at 4:30 AM so his wife could sleep longer and haul her goods to the market and set up her booth...
who would bring me flattened cardboard boxes to stand on in attempt to keep the mud off my pieces...
who would come rescue me to help pack up my booth...
my husband!

I could not do this without his love and support, he is my strength, my one and only! I can dream this dream because he has always encouraged me to follow this dream!
If you had told me one year ago I would be attempting to build my little vintage shop I would have laughed and thought you were nuts,
Just because I love vintage treasures, and to paint who would love my finds but me.....
who would shop my little dream but me....

but what I am discovering is that others are liking my finds...

they are finding good homes from fabulous people who love them as much as I do...

Did I sell a lot this weekend?

no

were the crowds flocking to shop?

no

Do I feel discouraged?

no

Did I learn something this weekend?

YeS!

that I don't have to sell everything to feel successful.

Success comes in all forms...

it comes from a family who loves you unconditionally,

it comes from kind words of support,

it comes from loving life and knowing it's such a gift to be treasured,

it comes from challenging myself and using the skills God has given me,

it comes from the hugs and words of we missed you from my chickadees when I returned wet and cold!

It's about taking a chance, having strong faith, and being a woman who sees goodness in all things even when skies are gray and it rains on your flea market,

I took it as a welcome sight to put on my new chocolate Hunter Wellies for this special occasion and stomp through the fields of mud because having cute shoes makes everything so much sweeter!

It's a new day...

the skies have cleared, It's now a beautiful shade of blue...

the temperature is slowly rising,

it's crisp just the way a Fall day should be.

As I look out the window writing this post I feel it's saying to me that I passed the test...

I didn't collapse over a lot of rain, I made the best of the worst weather conditions...

I didn't take it as a sign to close up shop...

it just the beginning!

It's all part of the growth that will strengthen my little dream...

Happy Monday!

Wishing you a day full of sunshine no matter what the weather conditions maybe!

i've been embraced...

by beautiful October!

It may have taken a few days...
I was a tad bit preoccupied...
a little busy trying to launch my little dream...
juggling the children and my husband's schedule has been a tad tricky,

but with great understanding, a whole lot of patients from the whole "co", major multitasking skills, and three full days of rest I've finally been wrapped in a gentle embrace by Fall

How sweet it feels and smells too....
apples and cinnamon sticks have been simmering on my stove....

the rain is falling on my freshly seeded lawn {preparing the yard for Spring starts in the Fall... bring on the gentle rain}

I have a day planned all around painting a coffee table for my next sale...
which by the way I will be having a spot at a local Flea Market this weekend...
bundling up a few pieces from home and heading to the market!

the forecast is calling for rain....cold temperature's, this is a rain or shine event. I can't back out now so going with a good attitude, canopy and tarps...

it'll be a crazy adventure, but I'm game! My little dream needs to grow...
So, if you feel like stopping by on this cozy fall day I'd love the company. We can grab a bowl of soup and chat til it's time to pick up all the kids from school!

see you soon and be sure to wear your wellies ,

Arrival of Autumn...

Autumn has officially arrived...


the temperature has dropped...


The air smells of fall, the leaves are a changing,


jackets came out of the closets,


socks have been restocked.


I've wanted to snuggle in bed longer and longer in the early morning hours to avoid getting up...


then I make a mad dash from the warm bed to a "hot" shower...


then run for the kitchen in search of some warm goodness.


Now that the caffeine has stirred me into action I have to focus on a certain holiday that is fast approaching....


I'm not one to decorate for all the holiday's. Somehow they seem to arrive faster and faster... How can this be?


I stick to outdoor flowers, corn stocks, and pumpkins for the front of the house...


and call it done.


I already feel behind because I do not have any costumes for the kiddos { I tried desperately, last night, to talk them into wearing gently used costumes we have stored away..... what do you think there answer was?


Oh Mom! that's not as fun....


what can I say to that?












I'm on a mission today....


to get caught up and take some time to enjoy the season before it's too late....

Happy Tuesday!

stepping stones....

every story has a beginning...

it sets the stage for what's to come...

this is the beginning story of "Lulu & co~ the shop".

I am Lulu and the co. is my family, my husband and our 4 chickadees...

it's all things I love... it's my heart...

it's a journey that is not mapped out. It's uncharted territory for me... it's a leap of faith,

it's a flight to who knows where... it's a chapter in my life that will write itself...

it'll have a middle,

it'll have an ending,

only time will tell.

For now this is just the beginning ...

it may be small,

it may grow,

time will tell the tale one day...

What I do know is this...

I know that the foundation of my little shop is built on love....

the love from my family the "co."....

the chickadees were not painted in the process,


they were fed,


I remembered to breathe,


I laughed,



I called for "help" when I needed it most {how do I thank my two dear friends who came to my rescue and helped a girl clean out her garage for her sale... my heart overflows with gratitude for them and there help}





I fell into bed each night, exhausted and exhilarated all at the same time for the amount of work it's taking to write this chapter of my story...

I worried and prayed...

I found strength to move forward from all of you.... you inspire me daily,

I painted each piece thinking of whose home it would fit into perfectly...

I hunted for treasures.

for the last 5 days I would cradle the phone to my ear and hear my husbands voice 3,000 miles away. He is busy writing his own chapter. Here we are, two people, sharing their lives together writing different "chapters" but still woven together, forever linked and made better because of our love for each other and our chickadees.

I stood in the garage with my "vintage friend" sweaty and exhausted from a day of labor to see my husband drive up in the dark.... with gifts of roses and pizza from my favorite Italian restaurant to be here for my first home sale... what a sight he was, better than any vintage treasure!

I've titled this chapter of my story "stepping stones"... a couple walking hand in hand with our children weaving our own story walking together through life one step at a time, one chapter at a time!

wishing you all a wonderful Sunday, see you tomorrow bright and early with my latte in hand. Until til then,

my night with a hutch...

Let me begin by saying I'm slap happy....

and it's only Tuesday!

I'm not sure I can keep my hubbies request about not painting the kiddos cause driving to school I put my hand in my hot cup of tea...

yep, reached on over in search for some caffeine sitting on my console and in it went...

I know what you're thinking!

don't you use a "to-go" cup with a lid?

I'll tell you a secret....

no...

because my husband keeps buying them for me and when I go junking I lose them in my excitement! shhhhh he doesn't know! So I drive my chickadees to school holding a big old mug of tea and hope for the best!

But I'm keeping my promise about a sneak peek....

My pine hutch....

what can I say about her but that I absolutely love it.....

it's sold pine, every inch of it, and she has a little story dear to my heart...

It was a Friday night and off to auction I went. I spied her from across the room and I knew I had to bid on it....

I waited and waited...

the time had finally arrived for the bidding to start...

there I was with a racing heart trying to look disinterested in hopes no one else would realize she was a gem...

the auctioneer calls for last bid... meaning it's not going to go any lower and up shoots my arm...

and can you believe someone else decides to bid against me!

aghast I tell you...

the bidding war began...

I'm rather passionate about life as you know... I sing and dance when I find a treasure and embarrass my family, but I had no idea that whenever the other person countered my bid I gasped out loud and said "OHHHHH" for all to hear accompanied with the look of shock on my face...

it was down to the end... defeat was looking me square in the face and the auctioneer looked at me high up on the podium and said for all to hear, "don't give up"?

Like we knew each other or something or i was his daughter....

I replied, " Oh, Oh okay... and up shoots my hand......

and I waited and waited...

he called to my opponent to counter bid.....

and nothing happened....

he pointed to me and declared #325 the winner!!!!

the whole place erupted with applause, some even standing for my win.... I felt like I should have stood up and bowed I couldn't believe how happy they were for me...

a man tapped me on the back and said, "you got a beauty and if I didn't think it was worth it I would have stopped you!" Like he was my father too....

I pretty much sat there and glowed the rest of the evening planning her makeover....

when I drove into my driveway that night with my new hutch my husband came outside to greet me and asked, "how did it go"?

I looked at him and said, "I received around of applause!" he replied, "why am I not surprised"!

What do you think?

Here's hoping for a day of smooth sailing with a whole lot of silliness and paint free chickadees!

ingredients needed....

1/4 teaspoon of magic...

1/2 teaspoon of spirit....

throw in some blueberries...

mix well....

brew a cup of tea, double shot latte or just a whole mug of espresso {depending on the mood}....

say a prayer....

and see what happens!!!

This is it...

the count down has officially begun....

Shop LuLu & co. is this Saturday...

I'm not completely ready...

getting there though!

I still have many cans of paint to stir, treasures to paint...

tags to create, chair seats to upholster, take care of my chickadees and kiss darling hubby goodbye for he is on travel for the week.... he told me, "please don't paint the kids, remember to feed his crew, and breath"!

I'm promising a week of sneak peeks of the pieces I've found that have called my name and made me do the happy dance!

It's my eclectic mix of "finds" that make up my Autumn sale...

If you live in my local vicinity and would like at attend my sale, drop me an email and I would love for you to come.

I'm off to finish mixing a 1/4 of this and 1/2 of that and see what happens.....
happy Monday to all!!!

band-aid for my heart.....

I've decided that having children will cause your heart to shatter into a million pieces over and over again....

this happened to me yesterday...

little pieces of my heart scattered all over the gym floor as I dropped my girls off at school!

It didn't take much for it to happen....

because it really started 2 weeks ago on a Friday night to be exact, all from an email I received from my oldest daughter's literature teacher.

The email was informing me that my daughter wrote a speech. She presented it to her class and it has been selected with 3 other candidates to be part of a speech competition with other local schools.

The winner and an alterenate will be announced on Monday....

you see I had no idea my daughter even wrote a speech!

I immediately ran to find her....

asking her a ton of questions.....

what was the speech on?

how long did it have to be?

why didn't you tell me?

Were you nerves?

tell me all the details....

she looked at me and said, "Oh mom, don't make such a big deal about it! it was just an inspirational speech and I only choose that topic so this very thing would not happen?"

I was so confused...

what thing happen?

possibly being a candidate for the speech contest....

I "hate" talking in front of an audience...

I knew right then and there to drop it and wait to see who was going to be picked....

I was just so darn proud of her!

My daughter was selected as the alternate.

Which brings me to back to my shattered heart and yesterday...

I saw her math teacher in the school gym and we are friends outside of school...

and she bought up my daughter's speech telling me she should have been the one selected for the competition.

I told her I have yet to see a copy of her speech.

Her jaw hit the floor, she took a step back and said, "are you serious, you didn't help her?"

Nope, my cheeks began to feel warm because I then confessed that I didn't even know anything about the speech till I received the email and that she still wont tell me anything about it.

There I was in the gym with all the students rolling in for their school day to begin and this teacher, a friend, told me what it was about....

your inner voice... listening to your inner voice when making decisions, challenging times, right from wrong...

My daughter wrote a speech about your inner voice! {she's 13!}

yes!!!! she replied....

My heart shattered because I was so proud of my daughter and her topic.....

but a big part of it shattered because she didn't want to share it with me....

I want my children to be strong individuals, and by her picking her topic on her own without seeking advice I think she is on her way to being just that... her own person with her own words done her way.....

everything I want her to be....

it's just that i only know one way to love....

with my whole heart and it's because of this is why it will shattered over and over again.

I love sharing.... it's who I am.... I'm just not sure it's who my daughter is....

My daughter has wings! Will my heart ever be ready....

{image from Angel at photobucket}

a girl and her shoes....

There's no turning back.....

I can only go forward now...

one step at a time...

in my new fall flats for the extra boost of confidence I need...

I sent out my announcement that I'm having my Autumn Sale of my vintage finds and eclectic home decor on October 10....

I keep asking myself why? Why am I doing this little venture... I have no idea what I'm doing... but something keeps telling me to do it...

as the phone rang before the alarms went off this morning....

I laid in bed thinking.... while I heard my husband on the phone...

about all he does...

how he does it...

and how my case of nerves seemed so trivial compared to his huge responsibility...

I forced my feet out of bed and knew right then and there my answer to my own question...

it really always comes back to my children...

I want them to know that you never stop learning, growing, discovering....

embrace it...

don't let knocking knees and a butterfly wings fluttering around in your stomach stop you...

just put on a cute pair of shoes and go for it!

I want them to BeLievE in themselves....

be all they can be....

whatever it maybe...

just go for it...

give it your all...

be happy....

and smile big...

This morning my whole family put on a different set shoes....

tennis shoes for P.E. class,

Mary Jane's for the 2 other girls,

flip flops for my little guy

hubby and his Marine boots,

and me in my metallic flats.....

we all have such different purposes and passions, paths that need walking...

some seem so simple at times and others feel like a mountain is on your shoulders...

but at the end of the day all the shoes will gather at the door... bringing everyone home...

with stories to tell....

all important, all needing to be heard.

Me and my shoes are ready... just one step at a time....

Wishing you a hop skip and a jump in cute shoes kind of day!

card in a box....

"The things that count most in life.....usually cannot be counted."

Just little reminders left around the house that catch my eye, make me smile.....

especially on a very busy day!!!

Happy Monday!