A tale of two bedrooms

A little kingdom I possess, where thoughts and feelings dwell; And very hard the task I find of governing it well.
Louisa May Alcott

I wish I had more home pictures to share, but we are living in half a house- the rest of our home is in a barn West Virgina, being stored after we sold our home there in January.

Here is the home we sold.



A lovely Victorian, but, we no longer had the time to invest in restoring it after the big twins arrived. BTW, the day we closed on the home- January 3rd, I told my husband at the attorneys office that I believed I was pregnant with twins again. He laughed and said not to be silly! I wasn't showing any signs, we weren't trying for a baby, wasn't "late", just picked up an article on Joan Lunden and it was about her having two sets of twins and I had a sense of euphoria and knew I was going to have twins again, too! It was fun to own this home- it was our playhouse and we stayed there over the Holidays and when we visited my family. Homes like this in WV are cheap, cheap, cheap.

But back to my home in Ga...

So, with half my things in a barn in WV, I haven't hung all our pictures, haven't placed all our furniture etc. The living room and dining room are basically complete, but none of the bedrooms or family room are finished. I do, however, have all my bedding with me.

If theres one thing I collect, it would be duvets, quilts, sheets and comforters. I love changing my bedding with the seasons, and love the look of bright colors in the spring, and warm neutrals in the autumn. I thought I would share our beds two looks.







This is actually the autumn look for our room, but, its a newer set and my husband loves it, so we have it on the bed for now. In the autumn I will add a few burgundy velvet pillows for Christmas and winter.





This is my spring and summer set, and I had to remake the bed to showcase it! I change out the yardlong over the bed, change the pillows out, and usually the lamos but one of the other lamps broke in the move so I am in the market for two more. These amber lamps were bought at a yard sale for five bucks each.

I think these two distinct looks also show how "Type a" my personality is. I loved the Victorian in WV because having that home there and the one here gave me seven bedrooms to decorate. Sometimes I daydream of owning a B&B just to decorate the bedrooms! My living room and dining room stay the same. I seldom make changes in the kitchen, but bedrooms in thise home are an evolving canvas!

Missing my bookbag

If anyone reading my blog has a simple pattern for a child's book bag please let me know.

My mother has never been crafty. She enjoys things others make immensely, and appreciates handmade treasures and cares for them in the same way as if she were a crafter herself. Has anyone ever noticed that? It seems that ladies who are talented in the way of handcrafts usually appreciate the work and creativity that goes into handmade items more than the casual shopper of craft items... but my mother really appreciates handmade items, and seeks them out. Perhaps this is connected to her baking, which is from scratch. I have always seen baking as an extension of crafting- an art form in itself.

But my mother has only once tried her own hand at creating aside from the culinary arts.

My second grade year my mother was roped into making book bags for the classroom because she was one of only a handful of stay at home moms at our school. My mother had never used a sewing machine, and certainly didn't while away her days knitting and crocheting my sister and I dresses and pretty bonnets. She spent time gardening, or visiting with her sisters and letting my sister and I enjoy a play group. Unable to admit she wasn't very much of a seamstress, she accepted.

She went out and bought a plethora of fabrics and trims. She borrowed my grandmothers sewing machine. And she spent the next couple weeks every evening making book bags.

There was a particularly pretty denim she had that I wanted for my book bag. A blue jean book bag would be very fashionable, and I liked the shade of blue. I had my eye on it the entire time she was working on the bags. But, as she finished up sewing one bag that she had spent twice the time on she had the others, she held up a blue calico and lace bag and announced proudly that it was for ME. That my bag would be the prettiest one in the classroom, and she had designed it especially for me.

Now I am stuborn. Always have been. I didn't even look at the bag she made. I pulled a blue jean one from the pile, put my hands on my hips and announced that THIS was my bag. My mom said "Just look at the one I made you- its prettier" I would not budge. I had my eye on that denim fabric since the moment it came into the house and thats what I wanted.

The next day we took the bags to school. They were put in the center of the room, except that the children whose mothers crafted bags were first allowed to choose their own. I chose my denim bag. Then, all the girls were allowed to choose a bag and the very first bag chosen from the remaining bags was the one my mother handmade especially for me. A little girl held it up in the air victoriously and announced it was the prettiest bag she had ever seen. All the girls sighed and exclaimed at its absence from the lot as none of the other bags were as stylish or pretty. And for the first time I looked at it. I saw it not from my little 7 year old stubborn eyes, but from the perspective of the girl whose mother hadn't made her anything so special, and who appreciated all the special details and rick rack added to this and only this bag. And my heart sank. It really was the nicest bag in the entire classroom and I could see all the work and particular details my mother had put into this bag ESPECIALLY FOR ME. I felt stupid and guilty and wished I could have that bag.

Had I known years and years later that I would still see that book bag in my mind so clearly, and that it would of been the only item my mother ever made from hand for me, I would of chose that bag. I wouldn't of taken it to school though- I would of saved it to carry to church. It was very worthy of a Sunday school ensemble.

I asked my mother today if I bought her some calico fabric, lace, rick rack and a denim pocket (my bag was the only one with a center pocket) if she would please make me a book bag. She laughed and said she had things from her childhood that she had said or done to her mother that she also still regretted. I told her it would mean something to me to have her make a bag, now, as an adult when I could truly appreciate it. The interesting part is my mother perfectly remembered my bag and described the details to me that I had forgotten.

No pictures for this post- I tried to find an example of my bag, and couldn't.

Inspiration Friday

I almost hate to post just yet because I am really enjoying the wonderful remarks about my friends The Chapmans to my post directly below this one- so please, if you haven't read that one and have time, scroll one post down. :-)

I chose outdoor water gardens/ponds for my Inspiration Friday post. We had a large pond at our last home, but for now we have a patio pond until we can devote more time to managing it. Here are some gorgeous examples of what you can create in your backyard.



This pond is so serene and beckons one to bring a prayer book, or a journal and take a nice afternoon respite. I like that it has a slight asian accent. We had some asian features in our pond- bamboo spitters, a cement lantern, etc. This is my favorite pond of the ones I am sharing.




We had some nice waterfall features, but nothing as magnificent as this one! There is something so peaceful and comforting about the sound of rushing water. I would definitely need a nice bench by this one.



I love the little bridge here- these are pretty economical to buy, and a nice play for the children to sit and enjoy the water.



This pond shows that you can have a slightly more formal look and it still be a relaxing corner of your landscape. I think this pond would look wonderful in a more manicured yard- one with well scultped shrubs, and perhaps a nice pergola.



My favorite thing about ponds after the waterfalls are the fish! There is a nice variety of koi here, and a few goldfish merrily swimming alongside of them.




You don't have to have a large pond to enjoy the look- here is a small water feature that was in my front yard of the home we sold here in Georgia. I built this in one afternoon! This was my "fairy pond" and I enjoyed it just as much as a larger one, and it was easy to maintain, and inexpensive to construct. I really miss this little water garden, and just mentioned to my husband this past weekend that I wanted to refer to my own pictures of it for inspiration on constructing another.

Making the most of your "treasures"

This is my second blog today, inspired by an entry in the blog by my friend Janice.

In 1997 I lived next door to an elderly couple and very far from my family. I had my dog, Mr. Smith for company, and they had an equally small terrier named "Lady". Smitty and Lady introduced the Chapman's and myself one afternoon when they made friends over a particularly nice peony they were enjoying a sniff of together.

Afterwards, I was adopted into the Chapman family. I had dinner with them three to four days a week, shared in their stories about their lives, and in exchange mowed their grass and walked their dog. It was quite a steal on my part, and many an evening I would snuggle down into the afghan on their sofa while Gerald told stories about the depression and his brothers. Eleanor would pretend she had never heard the story before and sitting very close to the edge of her seat and leaning in toward Gerald to hear every syllable he uttered, she would squeal and clap her hands at all the right moments, making for a very captive audience- only interrupting to inform Gerald of a pivotal part of the story he had left out.

The Chapmans loved family. They not only raised their four children, but then three of their grand children and subsequently one of their great grandchildren while a favorite grandchild attended college. They never locked their door, and shouted "come in" to anyone who knocked without even checking to see if it be friend or foe. But the the Chapmans didn't know a foe!

One evening I was visiting when their granddaughter and great granddaughter came for a visit. On the coffee table was one of Eleanor's prized possessions- a burgundy and gold fenton art glass biscuit barrel that had been a gift from a friend. Eleanor didn't decorate her home very much- mostly things that laid out for view were papers, piano books, and family portrait albums. However, she adored a pretty candy dish and changed out which one she displayed every week, thoughtfully refilled with candy and then placed in the center of her coffee table. The dishes contents were offered to every guest, no matter how new or frequent a visitor to the Chapman home.

We were all watching the news and they showed a clip about a new musical called "Stomp". Seven year old Brianna remarked that she could very easily be in that musical. Her pap-paw agreed and reached for something nearby to make noise on. Eleanor picked up a coffee cup and started rattling the spoon inside. Brianna's mother grabbed a pot from the kitchen, and then taking cue from her family, Brianna dumped the contents of the fenton candy dish onto the carpet and started banging the top of the lovely glass jar onto the base. I think I gasped! Eleanor looked at her and said "that makes a really nice sound" and went into her kitchen and brought back a second glass candy dish to also bang on. And for the next five minutes everyone banged loudly on their candy dishes and pots while Brianna laughed giddily. It was snowing outside and I remember wondering if I would have to shovel the sidewalk the next morning. The Chapmans had an oil furnace and their home was very snug and warm. From the forced air furnace, and from their bond with their family and all the generations within.

In my parents home, good dishes and good china are tucked safely behind glass doors and protected from accidental breakage or abuse. In my home I had done the same- visiting my precious china only on holidays and special occasions. Always, always, putting them safely away again when through.

Eleanor Chapman developed cancer that summer and passed away quickly, in her own home, surrounded by her family. Her husband asked me to pick one thing from her home to keep as a remembrance. The family had already chosen their momentos. I chose the fenton biscuit barrel. Its one of my favorite glasswares in my home, and I cherish the memory of the evening that her great granddaughter was allowed to nearly destroy it, all for the fun of song and love of company.

I hope that a bit of the Chapman spirit lives on inside of me, and I never become so attached to my things that I forget the people who can enjoy them and the memories we create when we celebrate these people with our "glass and china treasures". And that I never forget to keep a dish in my home filled with candy, for every guest- no matter how new or frequent a visitor to my home.

Here are a couple before pictures of the guest bathroom. Why does anyone hang textured wallpaper?



The paper has been tough coming down because the original paper (a country pattern) was hung overtop of unpainted/unsealed drywall. Trying to take it down sheers pieces of the drywall down. We have decided to remove only the top layer, seal the layer underneath and paint overtop of that one.



Yesterday, Tilly and Lucas had a couple of silly poses for me and the camera- both while sucking on their little lower lip.

Tilly had the barrette in her hair just for the pictures- she woke up from her nap with serious bedhead!



After I saw she was interested in posing, I went and grabbed a barrette and snapped a few more pictures, of which the following silly poses were apart of.




Sometimes Tilly looks so sweet! Its hard to believe that *this* baby has such a bad temper!



Lucas was just puzzled by the little black box I was aiming at his face while trying to get him to laugh.

I did eventually get a nice silly laugh from him.




And now an update on the little twins, like Lucas they love sugar and anytime I eat anything sweet, have a huge tumble fest in my growing abdomen. Funny!

I thought I would share some Southern Accents bath "eye candy" this morning since I am still working on our little guest bath. This bath above is about the same size as our master bath, and gives me some ideas about our spring remodel!

The wallpaper removal in the guest bath is slow going. I am now 6 months pregnant with the "little twins" and I find I am a bit awkward with the ceiling area. I keep feeling like I am toppling over- vertigo I think! I also don't fit in snug places as well as I used to. And the "big twins" find it hard to snuggle when I pick them up because there is a growing abdomen in my way!

Yesterday during naptime Tilly was particularly alert and I decided to take a peek into the nursery and found her STANDING up on her own looking out the window. My goodness everything happens so quickly now I feel like I can't keep up. So, last night we lowered her crib mattress and tonight we will lower Lucas crib mattress because they are very close developmentally.

Also, one time yesterday when I was working on the wallpaper, I heard Lucas scream and went over to their play yard to find he had a toy that Tilly wanted. So, she had climbed on his back and had a hand full of his hair tugging it. 9 months old!!! Normally Lucas is the one swiping toys and pulling hair- I guess Matilda is learning to stand on her own in more ways than one!

*edit during their afternoon nap I heard Lucas wake up and start playing by himself. A few moments later he SCREAMED. Well, not one to be outdone by his twin sister, he was also standing in his crib, trying to figure out how to sit back down. Way to go Lucas!

Bath Remodel

As mentioned, I am sharing pictures from my sister in laws master bath today. It went with the blue and white theme from Friday- wish I had these pictures handy then!

Sunday morning my husband walks into our guest bath and exclaims "What are you doing?!?!?!" I was standing on the side of the bathtub, with my arms above my head, pulling wallpaper off the walls.

We have a bad history of wallpaper removal, and the very idea of it gives my husband anxiety. At our last home- a 100 year old Victorian- there was horrible green and white scroll wallpaper in the dining room. I decided to take it down, not realizing that there was about 30 layers of paper on the wall! The last layer wasn't sized or anything, and taking it down even took some of the plaster off the walls. My husband is an engineer and he found me having an anxiety attack in the middle of our dining room when I discovered that the last resident had actually wallpapered over a 5 inch hole in the plaster near the fireplace. Duane also said that the paper was so thick it was giving the room an "R value" and insulating it!!! We ended up painting over top of it instead.

So, he walks in a room and finds me tearing down paper, and immediately says "what about last time we did this?"

I tried to accept this paper. It is textured and has fish on it. Big blue and teal fish. Our guest bath look like "The Life Aquatic" missing the trendy music and the lovely Bill Murray/Owen Wilson combination. I convinced myself we would go for a beach theme and I bought a waffle weave white shower curtain, put seashells out in crystal bowls, and pretty blue candles. BUT, it didn't look beachy. It looked like the 1988 "Golden Girls" Florida home- I could see Estelle Geddy in this bathroom.

Then I went to the bridal shower at my SIL's and she had just redone her brand new guest bath (they built their home 2 years ago). And that inspired me! I am ripping paper and glue off this week, and will be painting over the weekend. I love nesting and am so excited about this new project! I have plans to do a paint treatment of somesort- I am also going to replace the faucet, paint the vanity, and hang pictures.

Here is my sister in laws master bath. This is the alcove where the tub rests. It has a lovely vault here. I wanted to take pictures of her cabinetry, too- but decided to just show the pretty clawfoot tub. This is really the only cottagey room in her home. She chose just the right shade of blue with the white beadboard accents, and I love how the tub looks out on their acreage.

BTW- we have a tiny "childs tub" in West Virginia that I want to use and don't know how just yet. It had been removed from the guest bath in the Victorian home, and I took it with us when we moved since no one would use it AS a guestbath tub. The thing is teensy- its only about 36 inches long, but has all the features of a regular clawfoot tub. Every one that saw our home when it was up for sale asked to buy it, too. Its doll sized- sooooo sweet. The idea use for it would be in a powder room, where it could be displayed but not necessarily intended for use. But, with our impending large family, I don't think we can waste space. We will NEED the extra bathrooms for use, not just looks.




This is a closeup of the vanity items she collects on the little table beside the slipper clawfoot tub. She picked up most of the older pieces in England, and then a few little things around town. I have a small perfume bottle collection myself, and like this idea for displaying them. I would love to incorporate some of these details into our master bath when we redo it in the spring! I am leaning toward a spa theme for our bath however. It is going to be "mamas retreat"- ha!



This morning Tilly is leaning up on my shoulder while she watches "Go baby" on the t.v. They have finished up their bottles and their 15 minutes of viewing is up. Its time for them to get into their exersaucers for twenty minutes. We have the strictest schedule EVER, but, they love it and seem to flourish with the schedule, so we keep it. Lucas has his entire hand in his mouth. No wait- he has the cordless phone in his mouth! Hmpfh!