The Dining Room and Kitchen - Almost there

Now for the dining room photos I promised.  We started with the purchase of a dining table made of an old barn door, found six old ladder-back chairs (mixed and matched) and built the rest of the room around it.

I already had he copper-winged angels, copper star, copper pots and the metal scroll-work pieces. I wasn't planning to use any of it...but -- plans change.

I may have mentioned that FALL is my favorite time of year. If you know me well, you know I like earthy colors - particularly FALL colors. The stone-colored leather sofas,  natural burlap/linen curtains and dark wood colors gave me a neutral background. I love the cobalt blue and various shades of orange mixed with it, right now,  but I know I will eventually need a change. It will be easy enough to change my accent colors and get a new look without changing EVERYTHING!

Finally, when I come home to our house and walk in the door, it welcomes me.

It isn't REALLY finished yet (Is it ever?) You may have noticed that we are still missing some interior doors. We have purchased the doors, but it has been a real challenge, trying to locate someone who will come hang them for us.  I want to switch out the light fixture over the table for something more rustic and I'm still searching for the perfect rug, but it's beginning to feel like HOME.

I love the view of green from every window. I occasionally see a Mama Doe and her twin fawns while washing dishes or standing at the dining room window. And there is an army of squirrels in our back yard. They are the most industrious little creatures this time of year! One of the things I love most about our house is the natural light in every room, but at night, the kitchen was very dark.

 Finally getting some light up over the kitchen cabinets has helped brighten things up. The Quail Parade makes the place feel more like "HOME" to me, and we finally replaced the rusty old florescent shop light in the kitchen with a larger, wooden fixture. I still can't cook, but at least I can SEE the stove when I try!

Charlette and David (my sister and brother-in-law) came for a visit last week, and David worked on some electrical problems, installed new light fixtures and kitchen faucets, and they even helped us move my piano into the house from the motorhome! I was so happy to finally be reunited with my piano after six weeks without it. Thank you! 

We LOVE having family and friends visit!  

If you get anywhere close to

 CUT N SHOOT, Texas, call us!

We'll make a pot of coffee and leave the porch light on for you.

The Purpose of a Love Bug?

I can't believe it is FALL! (Almost.) The Texas summer has already started backing away but  I can't wait for that first really cool, brisk morning.  I guess we are never far from our childhood no matter how many years have passed.  Falling leaves bring back memories of new school clothes, construction paper, freshly sharpened pencils, and that unique smell of a lunch box. Remember those thermos bottles with the delicate silver glass inside? My thermos never lasted more than a few days.

Texas is currently experiencing the semi-annual PLAGUE OF LOVE BUGS. The bugs are harmless, but such a nuisance!  You gotta' wonder why God would deliberately make a bug like that. Their average life expectancy must be about 20 minutes! At least twice a day I vacuum up dead ones from the window sills, the door frames, the front porch, and anywhere else that can be vacuumed. I suppose they are part of the food chain, but ...yuck.  Yesterday as I was pumping gas into my car, I had them in my hair, on my shirt, stuck to one eyelid, and trying to fly into my mouth, which I kept SHUT for a change!  This morning? There is not ONE SINGLE LOVEBUG left alive at my house, inside or out. They are all dead.  I wonder...did they know how short their life would be? Did they do everything on their bucket list? Were they happy? But what I REALLY want to know is, What was their purpose in life and...did they fulfill that purpose?  Hmmmmm. something to think about.

Now, to the house progress.  I have finished most of the painting inside the house EXCEPT for the white woodwork. I have decided to take a break before tackling that mountain.   However, I have been busy working on the decor. This is the FUN part for me.  I don't know about you, but, for me, THINKING about the decorating and DECIDING is always the most time-consuming part. First, I dig through hundreds of magazines and thousands of photos on Pinterest.com or Houzz.com, saving the pictures that "spoke" to me, as in- really caught my attention.  I also look for color inspiration anywhere I can find it.  And of course, since I am not wealthy, independently or otherwise, I must also look at what I already own and try to figure out what I can do with it. I already had a lot of cobalt blue glass and had purchased, piece by piece, Blue Willow China.

All that being said, sometimes I STILL end up with a plan that just doesn't work.  This is what happened to me.  I knew what I wanted, but...and I know this might sound strange, but some of you will understand - the house sometimes takes control and begins to rule. I couldn't get going on the decor, because it just wasn't right. When it's right, you just FEEL it. I had painted the back wall of my kitchen a light blue. The rest of the very open living and dining area was painted white. I had planned to use just a touch of red as my accent color with burlap colored, natural linen curtains and stone-colored leather sofa and sofas. I bought red throw pillows and made a burlap valance with tiny red gingham bows.  

It just didn't feel right.  So I went back to my "inspiration" pictures.  This is the one that YELLED at me!  "HEL-LO-OH!"    Handel's MESSIAH music started ringing in my ears!

The red didn't work, because I was supposed to use ORANGE and Rust with the Blue, NOT RED! So, down came the red stuff ( to be used elsewhere, of course).

I must stop my rambling and go to work now.  Guess you will have to check back tomorrow to see the after pictures! LOL. Sorry about that!  Hope your day is good. I KNOW it will be BLESSED.  I am going to do my best to fulfill my purpose today, for who knows about tomorrow? Are we really so different from the Love Bugs?