Thrifted Lampshade: Reloved in Burlap

Hello and happy March!

This spring-like weather is really coming on fast here in

the AZ mountains.

Our Apricot tree is beginning to bloom

and this morning when I went out to water,

I heard the lovely sound of buzzing bees.

I'm normally excited about this but this year

it's too early and I'm a little concerned.

This morning I cut up a bag of crisp,

juicy apples and threw them in my

large crockpot on high.

I'm making applesauce and already the yummy 

aroma of roasted apples is floating through the house!

I do love the domestic life.

I've been working on my rosette project. 

Oh! It has been so fun and I'll be ready to share

it later this week. 

 I love it so far.

I have also begun the online course,

 Elements of Clay, with Alissa Millsap.

We will be working on some Bohemian- 

styled projects. I've never worked with

paper clay so I'm excited and thankful 

for the chance to learn.

I know me so I'm sure it will be slow going.

But that's ok :)

***********

 Today, I thought I'd 

share this little re-do project with you.

It was so easy and pretty quick!

I'm pleased with how it turned out.

I found a set of lamps at our local

pregnancy center, thrift store.

I really liked the pretty details and

thought maybe I could do something with the dirty shades.

If nothing else, they could be replaced.

I decided to give a try at re-covering them in burlap.

I didn't know how. I'd never 

done anything like this before. 

The shade has a bit of a curve to it and

I didn't really know how to measure the pieces.

So I just held the burlap up against the shade and judged

about how big the pieces needed to be.

I used hot glue to attach one edge and then 

pulled the remainder of the piece

as taut as I could...but also being careful at the same time

to not distort the weave and over all shape.

Keeping it as even as I could, it was glued in place.

I wanted to be sure that the lines were symmetrical.

I am not a fan of symmetry but in this case,

the lines needed to be close to perfect.

If you've never worked with burlap, it is easily pulled

out of shape.

 Once my pieces were secured, I trimmed the excess off

as closely as I could.

I then added the lace to cover the seams.

Again, being careful with the lines. 

A lamp with lovely details..

Embellished with a burlap rose.

 Here, you can see how I finished the underside.

Just trimming the burlap as evenly as possible.

I do enjoy the look of burlap. It's often used in a more

rustic manner. Here with the lace and burlap rose

do you think it has a bit of shabby country charm?
I enjoy beautifying my home and especially if I can 
re-love something that has had a previous history.

What's been happening with you? 

I hope that life is treating you well.

Thank you for stopping by!

Tamara xo

Partying at:
Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Share Your Cup Thursday

Vintage Charm

Unfinished Projects

It's summertime. It has always seemed like the perfect season. Days seems to  stand still and
there are less responsibilities pressing me to keep moving. I have always looked forward to
this time of having a little more freedom.

I get excited about having time to work on unfinished projects. However, accomplishing this
can sometimes be a challenge. Do you find this to be true? Here are a few ideas that have
helped me.

* Keep an organized list of unfinished projects in a convenient place. I forget about
projects and then when I have some time, I often flounder and don't know what I could
be doing.  Having some direction helps me make good use of my time and get more
accomplished.

By organized list, I mean have some details about each project that make it easy to jump
in and work on it.

Details such as:

1) How much time does it take? 10 minutes or an hour? Most of us have bits of time
to work in not large blocks. It's helpful to know how long it will take when you're
planning finishing touches. (Don't forget to include clean-up time! I learned this the
hard way.)

Sometimes projects can only progress in tiny steps because of the season of life that
you're in. It took me the longest time to realize that this is just a fact. I thought there was
something with me. Be realistic. Embrace and enjoy the season as well as
the project.

2) Be sure to make notes of any items needed to be purchased. It is so frustrating to
set aside time and be geared up to finish only to find that I am lacking supplies. A little
planning goes a long way for me. It can make the difference between being enjoyable or
stressful.

3) Can I accomplish this on my own or will I need  or want someone's help or advice.


* Plan a time to work on it and then keep it a priority.  Staying focused can be difficult
and for me, again, it was something that I had to learn.


Planning is huge! It can make the difference between success and failure. Relaxed
or stressful. Projects can at least be enjoyable. And it's nice if they are downright fun!

* Know your limitations and boundaries. Maybe you started a project that is beyond what
you feel you can complete. For whatever reason. Perhaps you absolutely hate it! Most of the
time, it's good to finish what we start, but sometimes it is wisdom and OK to delegate.

__________________________________________________________________

There are times when finishing a project seems boring. If this is the case, it's probably
going to take plain old-fashioned stick-to-iteiveness! Discipline. Just jump and do it.
You'll feel so good when it's completed.

If you have children watching this process, they are likely learning life-long skills from
you. It's nice to include them in your project planning and process when you can.
It's helpful to keep in mind their age and interests so as not to exasperate anyone. (Speaking
from experience.)


I have a few projects that I am working on. Here is a pillow that I am working on.
I have progressed since this photo was taken.

A few other projects that I am working on are a small logcabin quilt pillow and a homespun wallhanging quilt. I still have flowers to plant and mulch to spread in my

herb garden. There are stools and chairs to paint.

Summer is flying by and I need to set some relaxed goals to get these done. But I work

at not allowing myself to feel pressured. Just purposeful.

I hope you're enjoying your projects and your summer. I'd love to hear about both.

Presenting Your Home

Our Welcome Wreath

It is spring. The change of any season  inspires me. (Do you feel that way?) All throughout
the year, I try to create an interesting, inviting entrance to our home. Greeting friends and
family at the door with something that speaks of the season is special, fun and fulfilling.


Make it personal. We all have different tastes and that is ok; Your family is unique, so let it
show! One of the wonderful things about visiting another's home is that it is fresh and
inspiring. Be creative in reflecting the heart of your family. I love seeing the talents and gifts;
If someone offers me a tour inside or out, I eagerly accept.

                                                 ***************

If this is something new to you, here are some suggestions to help you get started.


1) Ask your family if they'd like to get involved. (This is a great opportunity for training
young homemakers and training young men to have an eye for details.)


2) Decide on  the theme of your (we'll call it) presentation.


3) Establish a budget (cash and time) if needed. (This does NOT need to be costly or
 elaborate. You may not want to invest a lot of cash or time.)


4) Work on your plan. (If you get stuck, your local library most likely has
 books/magazines that can help get your creativity flowing. You will be amazed
at how many ideas you have once you get started.)


5) Consider the tools you will need from start to finish.


6) Make a few lists:
             A. Materials needed
             B. What you may already have on hand
             C. Possible resources for making your purchases


7) Plan an outing to gather your materials.


8) Before you begin, you will want to clean the area thoroughly.(see list below)


9) Agree on a time to begin and have fun! (Remember, a project ususally takes
 more time to complete than one anticipates.)


10) Clean-up. (It took me awhile to learn to allow time for  this.)


11) Stand back and ENJOY your handiwork!



If you already have the presentation of your home established, you may want to take
a close look at it. As I get involved with other projects, I tend to overlook
things that need attention.


Here are a few details to consider when assessing your clean-up needs.

1) Sweep up (or rake) all that the wind has blown in.


2) Have there been neighborhood animals visiting? (The neighborhood tomcat
visits our house on a regular basis...and he marks HIS territory.{ SORRY}
If you have greasy looking dirt marks running up your siding, that's what it's from. 
{I know.. disgusting!}
It wipes away with any household cleaner or soapy water. We also have DOGS that
stop by. We keep kitty litter scoopers in various places around the flower beds to
SCOOP when necessary. {SORRY again...}


3) Clean up anything else that you can with cleaners. (Wiping muddy pawprints
off of doors or washing storm window doors, spider webs etc..(Jeff and I have always felt that a home with a neat, clean appearance was a good testimony to the Lord.)


4) Put away any items left over from the previous season. (We still have sleds
under our mudroom porch that need to be stored away.)


5) Touch up any paint that's showing wear.


6)Replace broken items.


7) Consider freshening the presentation with one new item.




         A simple going over about once a week will help keep this area ready to receive
 guests (in season and out of season) and welcome your family back home after an outing.
  

I am sure that you all have many of your own ideas of what and how to clean up
and add charm to the presentation of your home. Comments are welcome or even
drop us an e-mail. If you are so inclined, we would be pleased to see pictures of your
presentation. Thank you for stopping by. We hope this has been helpful~