Trash to Treasure

I am in the process of helping my friend “redesign” her office and kitchen…I am in heaven! She has requested my services and it is such a compliment to have someone be so appreciative and amazed at what I so take for granted, because I love repurposing, recreating, redesigning… We purchased an awesome piece of solid wood furniture (I think it was originally a section of an entertainment center; the TV cabinet) from an Estate Sale we happened upon a week ago. I am currently repurposing it into a breakfast bar which will provide extra counter space and storage which she very much needs as she is a very successful Pampered Chef Senior Director and Consultant. She wants to transform her “oak” office into a light and inviting space. Oh do I have ideas!! I have collected some great finds from her “trash pile” that are perfect to be recycled into shelves and storage. She has picked out some elements from my home that she would like to have incorporated in her redesign. WOW, that is the ultimate compliment in my book; I can’t wait to get started in her office. I have recruited Doug to construct her gallery shelves for the hallway, she love ours (my idea, his brawn; what a team!!) I see a trip or two to the swap meet soon for accessories; oh do I have a bounce in my step!!

These pictures are a sampling of my redesigns from my home, I will post pictures once I am done with her projects; rain, rain go away… I know, I know, we need it; however, it hampers paint drying, sanding outdoors, swap meets, etc. Hmm, that sounds a bit selfish; but once I start a project I get on a roll!!

…more to come soon!

Rain, Rain and More Rain

This week has convinced me I certainly am not a “pioneer” woman, nor do I want to be one, and it is only Wednesday! I like hot coffee, lights, heat, etc. I love electricity. Monday was a holiday for me and I was so excited to spend the day on my computer catching up and finishing some projects I had started and sure enough the power went out at about 11:30 am! I had just got out of the shower and thought at least my timing was pretty good, so I got dressed, made some lunch and figured it should be coming back on soon surely, the sun was now out! Well, not so. Since the sun was out I ventured out in my “beautiful and trendy (not)” rubber boots and cut my roses back and trimmed the geraniums/trailing geraniums that thought Spring had arrived a week or two ago. Normally we have beautiful weather this time of year with rain here and there, not the torrential downpours we have been experiencing! The ground was saturated as was everything else and I didn’t intend to do as much as I ended up doing. So needless to say I was not wearing gloves and I got stung by a bee! Who would of thought…I don’t know which one of us was more surprised; me or the bee…except I survived our encounter! I thought surely by now the power had to be restored; but still no power. The sun was about gone by this time so I got the flashlights and candles ready and thought this is not fun anymore! Doug headed home about 6:00ish and called to see if we had power yet as he, of course, was wondering if he was going to have dinner!

Just after his phone call the power came back on; what a relief! We are getting hit by some pretty bad storms with thunder; lightning and gusty winds so we may have more power outages this week! I can’t wait for our beautiful, awesome and wonderful weather to return, I am such a fair weather gal! I will be so appreciative from now on and not complain when it’s only a foggy day…it beats rain any day in my book! So I guess the moral of my story is; when I wish that I would have absolutely nothing to do I really want that “nothing” to be on my terms with electricity.

Reenergized and Refocused

Christmas and New Years are officially over; everything is put away. Our son (and grand dogs) left to go back to Montana yesterday and his wife has gone back to her parents home while she finishes her next rotation and internship before heading back in February. The house is big and quiet, we are officially empty nesters again; something we should be good at after nine years but somehow having Jeff, Jennifer, Miley and Roy home for 3 ½ weeks filled a void that I wasn’t aware of. When Jeff and the dogs left yesterday morning that familiar tug at my heart took over as it did when they moved to Montana and we said good bye, saying good bye after a surprise visit to celebrate Jeff ‘s 28th birthday, saying good bye after their visit home last May. The good news is Jennifer graduates in August and it sounds like they want to come back home to live (Jeff surfed just about every day he was home); but who knows they may stay in Montana or move somewhere else! So time for me to get refocused and reorganized!

My sister and I are excited to expand our business, …Simply Stated, this year. We have some great leads to design and illustrate custom cards for some awesome businesses. If this is something you are interested in please contact us. What better way to start the New Year than to send cards to those you are near and dear to and/or to brand your business! Personal contact always puts a smile on the face of the receiver as it makes them feel warm and fuzzy knowing that you took time just for them which in turn will make you smile, and feel warm and fuzzy, and it just may well boost your business! We also have lines of cards that are priced so affordable that you can keep them on hand and send them/give them out in a moment's notice!

...I am doing the happy dance today as 2009 is in the books, QuickBooks that is! I took yesterday off and spent the day engrossed in it and I am the victor!! I am registered in a Financial Management class, yes I am officially a student again, starting on Wednesday the 20th, wish me luck as I haven't been in the classroom for some time now. I am looking forward to this adventure since the last accounting class I took was about 35 years ago.

Good Bye 2009; Welcome 2010

Another year gone by, as I reflect on 2009 I am relieved as it was not the kindest year! With a new year comes hope for a prosperous new year, out with the old; in with the new; a rebirth of sorts, etc. As December approaches each year I am so excited to decorate for Christmas and love getting into the Christmas spirit. I so look forward to watching (one of these years I will watch them all!) my vast collection of Christmas movies, baking, our annual Christmas Cocktail Party, spending time with our family and friends and the “magical” emotion that stirs me every time I hear a bell “jingle.” As I was undecorating this past weekend (telling myself, as I do every year, next Christmas I am going scale it down) I felt an emptiness that comes every year as I pack it all up. I reminisce and relish in the memories of past Christmas’ when our sons were young to now celebrating with grandchildren; the thought of Christmas' to come always warms my heart. As I packed the crates and Doug made many trips up the attic ladder our house began to look like our home again. We have accumulated a lot of stuff over the years and I do admit it; I am a shopaholic and love Christmas!! I have crates that I don’t even dare open to see what is inside anymore! Oh the temptation; I am ready for our sons and daughter-in-laws to come “shopping” for some of the boys’ Christmas treasures to add to their collections.

As I look forward to 2010 I have a bounce in my step and a zest for making this one of the best years yet! Here are a few photos of the Owen home decorated for Christmas this past year, I guess I am having a hard time letting go of this one, it is full of wonderful memories; I didn’t want it to end! I took a break from Facebook over the holidays and enjoyed spending quality time with my family and friends, I hope to get back to writing and sharing on my blog every week as I have discovered I love it!! This is my New Year's resolution!

Happy New Year and may 2010 be an awesome year for us all!