Perrin's ponderings and pictures

Perrin's ponderings and pictures

                    BE STILL MY THRIFTING HEART..

My o- stinking my!!! I soooo WANTED to jump into the new year with the great intention of trying to blog everyday... NoW of course I knew the realities of this happening were pretty slim at best BUT come on... I have not blogged now in 5 weeks!!!

It's not like I don't have time (although I do wonder where my time goes...Hmmm???) So I just have to admit that it is obviously going to get done when I feel like it...That being said.... I have sooo much to share!!!

I am a self-proclaimed JUnK QuEeN!!! I love to go junkin and looking for treasures.. The past two weeks have found me scouring all sorts of haunts looking for cool stuff... I went to Canton last weekend with my friend Ashlee.. We had so so much FUN and found lots of neat things.

This cute little thing came from a farm sale just down the street from my house. You can't tell from the photo but it is on casters.Not sure what it will be yet perhaps a  Bar/beverage cart for summer entertaining or a great place for flowers to be planted. Possibilities abound though.

Picked up a beautiful white chenille popcorn bedspread and silver platter from a sweet little lady at Canton. Both were great buys and in great condition.

This chippy peeling beauty was my greatest find this weekend.. I have been wanting to make a bench for awhile now but hadn't found the right bed yet... CHa-CHing!!! Found it AND the best part was that it was only 10.00!!!

Was looking for certain letters in this huge box of plastic 3-D letters when the seller told me I could have them all for 5.00. SOLD.... I see glitter, fabric, ribbon and paint in their future..

Found some sweet old small suitcases and an assortment of vintage embroidery hoops.

I also have a fondness for old pretty china. Found these little darlings at a roadside garage sale as well as the cute little angel statue that has a pale pink patina.

Found some sweet vintage floral pillows and an old BALL mason jar. I already own some but I love them so... Also couldn't pass up these frames that had such pretty detailing on them. I see different colors in their futures but I love the daintiness of the frames themselves. 

Spindle legs were finds at Canton. They are going to become legs for a table that I am making out of an old window. Turquoise perhaps??? Loved, loved, loved the vintage floral painting. Not in perfect condition but workable condition. Also found this cute little broken child's rocking chair. Thinking of fashioning it into some kind of planter or shelf. Not sure yet...

This is not a complete or comprehensive  list of the two week haul but oh what fun I had searching and seeking out each and every one of these finds. NEED to run so I can go get started on all these AWESOME restoration projects!!! Hope you enjoyed my little junkin tour...

Gypsy Love , Junkin Heart and Butterfly dreams

I Love, LOVE, lOvE the Junk Gypsies on HGTV...There is not anything that inspires me more than to see WHAT they are gonna create. Now don't get me wrong, I am fairly creative but I do not have: a) tools or workshop
b)family at my disposal that will drop everything to help me create my most recent dreamed up fanciful ideas c)$$$ d) their adorable cuteness . 

Last weekend I sooooo wanted to go junkin and just be with some of my girls kicking back and having a good time. Well.... as my luck (which if you know me is NEVER good) would have it, gas prices jumped 16 cents in one day, several of my normal running buddies had plans and so my dreams of a road trip to Brenham, Texas to go to the Garage Sale Competition that was being filmed for the girls new HGTV show was sidetracked and permanently de-railed. RATS!!!

What ever is a self proclaimed Junk Queen to do??? Well....I decided to stay at home and do some creative stuff closer to the casa. I painted my quilt nook with some very pretty hues of my favorite colors ( all warm and yummy) : turquoise,yellow, red and orange!! I painted them and then antiqued them a little with a pecan stain. I LOVE the way it came out. I also ventured into our local Saturday night auction up in town. I have wanted to check that place out for several years now but never had made it in there. Who knows how much good junk I missed in this length of time???

There was a LOT of junk to be had at the auction and not all of it was good BUT I had a blast!! Brought home a few treasures and the best part is I was entertained for a couple of hours and spent less than 20.00. Not bad for  a Saturday night. The hubby went too and he actually had fun ( go figure).  I also took some time to watch some of my Art class videos. I am learning how to create all things with wings. I started watching the videos about butterflies. I haven't completed a drawing, painting or sketch of one yet but I HAVE come up with the perfect quote to go on one I have in my head. It will say ," God didn't want me to spit and sputter so he gave me wings so I can flutter." original quote by me. 

What kind of things get you excited? Junkin, watching those creative Texas gals, painting, going to garage sales and DREAMING are all things that I have a definite passion for. I hope you find time to explore things that make YOU happy in the coming week. 

Blessings,

Dalene
XOXO

A bucket of blessings or anxieties??

Today was EXHAUSTING!!! I began the day feeling very blue and overwhelmed and not really sure why?? I was borderline weepy on the drive in to work. It could be hormones or a direct result of just getting older but I think the feelings of the last couple of weeks have finally decided to rear their ugly head..

I am SCARED... not for any one thing. I'm not the alone or lonely kind of scared because I know that God is always with me and never leaves me. I am afraid of CHANGE...OK, I have said it and out loud even. I like all my ducks in a row and for sameness ( or saneness, whichever applies more). I have always resisted change and it could be a direct result of sometime in my life feeling that things were totally out of my control and my whole life was all about change. You know the rolling with the punches, taking life as it comes kind of change. Maybe because too often change is/was viewed by me in a negative light with all sorts of inconveniences instead of being embraced as an opportunity for new possibilities to present themselves.

I think how much my life changes on a daily basis but those are small somewhat manageable changes. I can't be the scared caterpillar not wanting to burst into a beautiful, colorful butterfly because of all the the changes I would have to go through. Beauty sometimes emerges from change. Truth and reality come with change too. Change is often a result of a failed attempt at doing something so you tweak and search for a better way of doing whatever it is thus creating a changed situation and hopefully even better attitude as a result.

Work causes me enormous stress at times because it is so unpredictable and it is all about change. Daily, hourly and sometimes even minute to minute depending on how that moment presents itself. Sometimes it is the kind of constant change that leaves you winded and wondering what just happened while other times it's like a claustrophobic smothering anxiety. Don't get me wrong, I love my job for the most part and it's manageable but I wonder if I would be any happier if I didn't have to go through so much change on such short notice.!! I'm sure there have been many wrinkles added to my face as a result of some of these daily changes.

I think of others whose lives have been radically changed because of life altering circumstances; ie, health issues, loss of job, car wreck, fire, natural disasters, divorce, death, etc.. How do they cope and deal with these changes? I think of my mom. She has had so many changes in her life in the past three years. She however chooses to stay upbeat and I admire her immensely. She has endured some tough things; breast cancer, the death of her beloved mother (my sweet, sweet granny) and numerous other health issues to name a few. I look to her for inspiration because in my eyes she is one of my heroes. When I think about her my little petty changes in life seem so small and insignificant but when you talk to her she will tell you her changes are small compared to others. I guess it really is about perspective.

I guess it is time to put on my big girl panties ( and not only to cover my bottom) and face whatever comes my way with the strength and dignity that she does. You can't stop change but I guess it's time to stop whining about all the things that seemingly go wrong and the changes that make my days crazy and accept the fact that that's what life is all about. It is what helps us to grow stronger, love deeper, have more faith in others, ourselves and how God is directing our paths for a better tomorrow. Instead of having a negative attitude about change I want to BE THE change I want to see in the world. In order to do that I must embrace life, change and all. 

Blessings,

Dalene

Brrrr.... I want summer back

Brrr..... That's right it has been downright cold the last few days. Don't get me wrong, it's not like in negative temps with ice and/or snow on the ground but for a born and bred Texas girl... well, it is COLD!!! I have always been of the notion that i would much rather be hot than cold. The cold makes me miserable and I am so grouchy!!! Today I got to learn a new word about winter precipitation. It is grauple and it is snow pellets which is actually a mixture of snowflakes, sleet and fast frozen ice. I have NEVER heard of this word before today or witnessed what it looks like. It looks like dippin dots or styrofoam pellets like what would be inside a bean bag. Very weird looking. 

Disclaimer*** this photo obviously was not taken today. Another thing the cold does is make me lazy... I just want to snuggle in a warm cozy blanket and think of warmer days. This picture was actually taken last SUMMER (oh I long for you summer) at Camp Copass in Denton, Texas. I have been blessed the past several years in being privileged enough to accompany a group of pre-teen students there for a week of church camp. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it there. This is where the canoeing takes place and is a great place to sit under the trees and enjoy the wind, partial sun and shade. I hope everyone has a dream spot that warms not only your  body, but also your heart and soul. I am comforted this evening by the warmth and love that comes from the Lord. BLessings to you all. Keep warm and relish God's eternal warmth and love for us all. 

Blessings..

Those who plant blessings shall also harvest blessings. Go be a blessing to someone in life...Smile, Share, Laugh and Love..

Dreams, Wishes and New Beginnings

     

I am a dreamer...I think of things constantly that I wish or dream  about doing... Vacations that I would love to take, business ventures that interest me just enough to dream about them without trying to worry about making them a reality, GRAND ideas, and small ones too.

The prospect of a new project is something that almost makes me giddy. The dreaming, wishing and planning that brings you to  the beginning of something new. A blank page in a journal or the cleanliness of a blank white canvas just begging to be splashed with color.

The wrecked remains of last years flowers and container gardens yearn to have a new beginning with new bulbs and seeds all fulfilling the dream of growing into something beautiful.

I have this sign above the bed in our guest bedroom because that room also doubles as my craft/art room and the simple message speaks to my soul. I have many hopes, dreams and wishes. Over the years I have developed the love of baking. I liked it so much that last year I invested multiple months ( 4 to be exact)  not to mention money to explore cake decorating. I actually enjoy it so much that I decided to start my own in home bakery called Fat and Sassy's Sweets. I did a ton of orders last year but not enough to have to claim it for taxes or even enough to make a living at it. Being a dreamer, I can imagine one day owning my own place. Not just a bakery but a place that I can decorate (  since I enjoy that as well) , have art being created in a separate studio or classes being taught, as well as it having a vintage/antique feel to it with a small resale.thrift area but that only offers refurbished items , vintage items or antiques.. Of course bakery items would always be available to all customers for purchase. A place full of conversation, love, compassion and community. I dream of a place where people can come and nourish their creative talents, connect with other people and sit and visit over a cup of coffee and a cupcake or cookie.  I KNOW that this is quite a dream but what does it hurt to dream? We have a little travel/business  trailer that sits at the front of our property. It doesn't have electricity in it and it needs some repairs but I would like to make that into my makeshift craft/art studio until such a time that the OTHER dream can either be made into a reality or let go.... Dreams....Maybe someday but for now I will continue to utilize what I have which is pretty awesome except that I can't leave it too messy in case anyone comes to visit. 

God provides us a new beginning each day. He gives us hope, a spirit of love and a longing to dream of the plans that He makes for each of us individually. I look forward to the breaking of a new day as it gives me the opportunity to praise Him for all that He provides and to dream of all that is possible when we put our faith in Him. 

"For I know the plans  I have for you , declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11