Bookcases and Mantles

Winter is a great time to focus on our homes.  Being indoors seems
to bring out our "nesting" feelings and gets our creative juices going.
I love being able to change things around without spending money.
If I were more creative, I would see things and be able to visualize
where to put them.  I have tried to become better at that and have
really enjoyed re-purposing things and moving them from one place
to a new home.

I had been really discontent with the way my bookcases had
been looking.  Last week I decided to do something new with
them.  I have lots of picture frames and since I am wanting to
go with a lighter look in my living room, I spray painted some
of them. I used a spray paint from Hobby Lobby that I have
used before.  It is Heirloom White.  Btw, did you know you
can download their app and get a 40% off coupon for regular
priced items?  That makes spray paint cheap!  After painting
them, I distressed some of them--adds character.

I tried to go with Design course 101 of odd-numbered things
but found some shelves just needed to be different.  Mainly,
I arranged, rearranged, stepped back, changed, etc. until I
liked what I saw.

White frames for a lighter look.  Odd numbers of items on shelves
(mostly)

A cozy lamp makes a nice addition as an accent light.

Berries on the fireplace for winter.  I will add spring colors
when February rolls in.

What do you like to do to change things around?  I'd love to hear ideas.
Happy decorating!
P.S.  My lighting wasn't great, click on the pics to get bigger, clearer pictures.

Cozy and Warm

This looks grainy but it looks like this because I took it at night.  On these cold
winter evenings, this lamp will add warmth and coziness to your home.  This
wasp lamp has been a great seller in the store.  It comes with a candlestick and
a 6 watt silicone bulb.  I have it sitting in a built-in bookcase.  It will be featured
this spring in Country Sampler.  $27.50 and $12 shipping/handling.  If you're
interested, leave a comment and I'll get back to you.  Stay warm!

The Saint of Pear Orchard

One of the great things about Pat's is the people.  The ones who walk through the door and the ones we 'meet' online or through Country Sampler.  We get to interact with
the ladies who come in the store and hope they sense a different atmosphere as they
 shop.  We want to minister to them not only in the products, but in spirit, also.  We hope to make their day a little nicer.  Sometimes, it takes the form of listening to life  stories.  My husband once had the opportunity to pray with a lady and her daughter as she shared with him her current battle with cancer.
Then there are the ladies with whom we speak by telephone, through email, or, as in
the case of Miss Gloria, through snail mail.  Gloria wrote asking for a catalog.  She had
seen our ad in Country Sampler and liked the graniteware.  She asked for a catalog because, as she told me, she had no TV, internet, or telephone, "just country" is the way she put it.
I sent her a catalog and not long after, I received an order....and a letter....a two Cajun recipes.....and began a cherished friendship.
We write often.  We send pictures.  And we share prayer requests.  She lives in
her childhood home, 'Pear Orchard'.  She shares gardening wisdom and tells us
details of her home.  She sent a picture of workers 'picking' pecans in a hydraulic
bucket from trees that are 125 years old and tells of the 98 year old man who showed
up one day and told her his dad had planted them when her property was a cotton
plantation. I love those kind of stories.  
The greatest thing she does for us is pray for our family.  She asked for requests
and I gave them :).  I asked her one time to pray for our school year.  Anna will
graduate this May and I want to finish strong with her.  The next letter contained
her prayers for us and began, "I ask this Lord on bended knee...".  Isn't that beautiful?
I realized today how calm and quiet this week has been.  Then I remembered Gloria's
intercession in her last letter, "Lord, I ask that Debbie's path be an easy one."  Prayer
answered.  John MacArthur teaches that prayers are not so much to get God's attention on our behalf but for us to see answered prayer and give Him the glory.  Thinking of that, I praise and glorify Him for a saint and her prayers and I resolve to pray for others way more than I do.   She'll never see this because, remember, "no TV, no internet,
no telephone, just country", but I'm so thankful for the Saint of Pear Orchard!  

Valentine Craft--Fun and vintage!

Hello and Happy New Year!  If you came here from the website,
look on the sidebar for anything you might be interested in or
scroll and enjoy.  I found the cutest craft on Vintage Finds and
wanted to share it with you.  Vintage things are so fun to make
and display.  I cut 1" by 12" pieces of sheet music (found it on
Ebay), stapled the ends, bent it into a point, punched 4 holes
and ran jute twine through the holes.  I plan to hang it on a
sofa table that is decorated for Valentine's Day at the store.
Hopefully the pictures and tutorial below will be easy to follow.

After stapling the end, I bent it to get  the point.  The one on the left shows the stapling.  The one on
the right is after stapling.   

Now take the top side and bend to get your heart shape.  After you do, staple it about where you are
holding it (like in this picture).

 

 

Now that you've got your heart shape and stapled to hold it, punch a hole on the left side, two in

the middle by your staple (if you hold it together, one punch will give you two holes), and one

hole on the right side.  As I said, I used jute twine but here I'm using ribbon so you can see it

and get a better idea of how to place your holes and run the twine ( or ribbon) through them.

This is just a shot from the side to give you an idea of hole and ribbon placement. 

 

I hope you enjoy doing these.  I plan to make a banner from

sheet music.  I'll share it with you when I get it made.  If

you like antiques and vintage check out the website above.

You'll like it, I think.