When You Step Inside...Amy V.

Amy is assuming I have a front hallway....I don't. My front door leads right into my living room. Not very welcoming according to Amy V. and this 1960's "How Things Work Article" She does suggest the obligatory Umbrella in the Corner and Quirky Coat Rack. I'm not sure about the most  space efficient way to partition off the door from the rest of the living room...think think think....

Cafe Curtains Success!!!

When I was in college, the beginning of every semester we would have to log our computers on to the network, after the process was through the screen would flash "SUCCESS!!!!" It always made me feel like I accomplished something!!! :) I accomplished another project today. I made my Cafe Curtains for my Kitchen. $18 and I purchased everything from Hancock Fabrics. The Fabric wsa a remnant for $4 a yard. I bought two yards but it seems I bought a yard and a half too much and now I am going to have to figure out what to do with the rest of the fabric...As soon as I find my real camera I will take pictures of them. I also found a never been used set of  1950's cake and pastry frosting equipment today. I was super excited about my find!!!!

Make Your Front Door a Welcoming One

Amy V says that the front door should be welcoming, and the color of the front door is important...unfortunately I live in an apartment and I can't paint my front door. She suggests that apartment dwellers should place a particularly pretty mat in front of the door. So I bought a green and brown one today from World Market. I had an Orange one...but I have been increasingly hating it. She also suggests placing a pot of philodendrons beside the front door, but alas, there isn't enough space in the stairwell but, I think my living wreath will suffice quite nicely.  When my living wreath seems to be blooming I will hang that on the front door. Hopefully it's welcoming enough!!! Maybe it needs a sign that says "Welcome"

Vintage Notions: May

I'm going to be better at keeping up with my projects this month.

"Prayer is the peace of our spirit , the stillness of our thoughts, the evenness of recollection, the seal of meditation, the rest of our cares and the calm of our tempest; prayer is the issue of a quiet mind, of untroubled thoughts; it is the daughter of charity and the sister of meekness."

 In Amy Barrickman's book, may seems to be a month of prayer and the home. Last semester, at church we were studying prayer, and a lot of people were reading Paul Miller's A Praying Life. I didn't have a chance to purchase it at the time, but I heard it was really inspiring, and in keeping with Barrickman's theme, I think I will read it this month. I have also had the book  The Sacred Romance  by John Eldridge recommended to me, as well as Evlolving in Monkey Town by Rachel Evans. So thats my reading list for this month, we'll see if I can them all read!!

Projects this month:

Fashion: Sewing a Scarf

Crochet:  Hat

I'm thinking about working on this one.

http://www.antiquecrochetpatterns.com/sparkling-beanie.html

Good Looks:
Cupping the face. "Simply place a small glass cup on the face, holing it there for a few moments til the suction draws the blood to the surface. Then, move it to a new spot, continuing in this way until the face has been covered and the blod made to circulate freely." (SCARY) Who DOES that?

Cleansing and moisturizing the face a priority.


Home:

A Little World of Peace

by W. Dayton Wegeforth

Mould yourself a little world of peace

To live upon in blissful sweet content; 

And place it in a cloud of silver fleece

Amid the blue of your own firmament.

Build  around your hope a golden fence

To bar out care-to keep your joy within;

From radiant sunlight glean your confidence,

And with its shimmering beams  your future spin.

Place your faith in God, and tread the way

Through flowered years, with some twin-hearted soul; 

Let no dark sorrow dim your perfect day,

But seek the myriad joys that make life whole.

(I want to put this on an Art Print)

A Smiling Garden.

"A plot of flowers will delight you in three ways-first, through your sense of sight; secondly though your sense of smell;and thirdly, through that joy of all flower lovers, the luxury of giving away."

It's May, and I've been in a bit of a funk lately. Today has been one of the first where I felt productive though. I made this living wreath: 

Sorry, I don't know where my camera is so this is my sucky phone camera.

I got the idea from the Hostess with the Mostess blog. 

We'll see if I just ended up destroying the flowers.:( I'm hoping it will work and I can hang it on my front door. It will be my inspiration for decorating the rest of the house in a close to 30 manner as opposed to "twenty-something just out of college and things are just hodge podged together."

Considering: Re-doing lampshades for the Living Room.

Cooking:
Icebox Pudding

Amy Vanderbilt Reading:
How to Decorate with Accessories

Sew Retro:
Cafe Curtains for Kitchen (Hopefully Creating the Illusion of a window in the Kitchen???)

Oh and I saw this poster by Evelyn Rumsy Carey in someones House and I want it, but it's like $60.00 and I can't afford it so I'm posting it here. Maybe I can recreate it with my own spin on it?

Oh...and P.S

If I ever become an Imagineer, move to L.A and make a lot of money I'm going to live in this house.

http://www.homes.com/listing/134243662/1342_Cleveland_Road_GLENDALE_CA_91202

Amy Vanderbilt-Pacing Housework

OH! I've been so overwhelmed lately! I feel like a failure as a single 'cause it is utterly impossible to keep my house clean w/ two mischievous cats and one messy house guest (Myself.) If Myself cold just get in line w/ Me my life would be uber easier. I'm trying to remind myself Ms. Vanderbilt says "The main concern is to do a satisfactory job in a resonable period of time-YOUR time, not your neighbor's (and not what your imagination tells you everyone else is capable of -s.v)Active people take on a number of projects and thrive on them. They actually go downhil if they are not busy and challenged constantly. (she's speaking of me here.) It is a personal matter to discover your own pace and stick with it. The family will benefit from the calm radiance of a woman who has found herself. (oh please God, let me find myself) Whether you shoot sparks or burn slowly doesn't matter as long as you are yourself, all in one piece."

This is encouraging and doesn't make me feel like such a failure. If Ms Vanderbilt says I'm okay, I must be okay.  Even when my house isn't perfect. I can find peace and order at my own pace. Back to flylady.com day 1. Shine your sink.