my secret hideaway...

this is our little side porch, not that it is hidden from all of the outside world, but generally speaking nobody really pays that much attention to it and so I can sit here unnoticed.

 why do I want to go unnoticed you ask?

because this is the perfect place for an early cup of coffee, or a evening retreat.

in my jammies.

you know when you live in town it's kinda frowned upon to be outside in your jammies.

I'll let you in on a secret, I'm in them right now as I write this post!

Ofcourse they are not ooh la la jammies,

no. they are a pair of Duanes flannel bottoms and a Michigan hoodie.

sexy, yes?

We are on the other porch with the curtains, so I am in the chair with the most curtain coverage and we both have our computers on our laps, him writing his school paper and me visiting with you.

He has 11 months to go until he is finished with his MBA.

WOO HOO!!

It has been a rough road but he is a determined guy and I am so proud of him for going after it.

I know I couldn't wouldn't do it.

He is writing papers and studying constantly.

really.

no, I mean it.

I don't have that kind of attention span.

really.

no, I mean it.

If I was writing a paper like the accounting paper he wrote this week, my head my explode.

So I let him do that and I wrapped our chandy cord in burlap.

wanna see?

Plus I did the tedious task of cleaning all of the crystals with vinegar.

bugs are gross.

Why do they want to reside in my chandelier?

I didn't start out the day with the idea that I was going to make a new cord cover for it.

Then 2 of the lights blew, when you add those to the two that had already blown well, I needed to change some light bulbs.  As I was changing the light bulbs I was appalled at how dirty the light actually was.

I should be ashamed to tell you this, but I trust that we will still be friends even if my chandy is gross.

I digress...

As I was cleaning the light with vinegar, I took a closer inspection of the cord cover that I made about 5 years ago.

gross.

What to do?

give it a new look!

I used the burlap ribbon from Michaels that I had gotten a while back for a different project that right now, I cannot exactly remember what it was.
 I started at the top and safety pinned

(yes I really used a safety pin... I was in a creative hurry what can I say)

a corner of the ribbon to the top chain and then went round and round the chain.

Then at the bottom,

are you ready for this?

I put a dab of hot glue on the ribbon to hold it in place.

I did mention the creative hurry I was in right?

Plus I needed to know that I would like it.

GASP!

How could I question the very thought of not liking burlap?

...still friends now?  :)

As promised here is the new candle for the back patio

the match to it is hanging as the light for the curtained porch and I have thought that this one would look cool somewhere in the house but not having found the right spot in 6 years I decided it needed to be used outside.

I glued tiny tart pans to the candle (light)  holders because although short taper candles fit, they weren't getting enough oxygen to stay lit.  So the tart pans hold little votives. fabulous!

It looks so sweet out back.

Glad I saved it.

Do you hear me Hoarders Annoymous?

I saved it and then I used it!!!

(sorry I had to get that out of my system)

it hangs right next to the comfy couch.

yet another secret hideaway!

Thanks for the visit!

love,

Theresa xoxo

linking up with:

White Wednesday

Wow us Wednesday

Link Party @ Tea Rose Home

Tranformation Thursday

Open House Party

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Show and Tell Friday

p.s. Is blogger just messing with me or is it driving all of you crazy too?

It has removed my entire sidebar!  Everything but my posts is missing, maybe I should just be happy the posts are still there and that I can keep up with you through my dashboard.

smile on the face.

blessed with rain, rain and more rain...



the grass is green, the peonies are full of buds and the much needed ants :)

the myrtle is lovely, the hydrangeas and hostas are looking hopeful.

and

the weeds are thriving :(

the sidewalks really need to be trimmed.

yet another thing to add to the tada list

I moved the light-filled bird cage to the porch = perfection!   

I still want to rehang white curtains... (I like them better) but what I could find in my stash were 4 taupe sheets so that's what I hung up for now. 

I have to tell you that this is one of mine and Duanes favorite places to relax.  Once the curtains are up, when we want to sit out there we don't pull them entirely closed but we close them partially and let me tell you, it feels like a bit of a childs hideaway for adults! Like having a fort or tent on the porch!

The secrets out... sometimes I want to be a bit of a recluse and not mingle with everyone that walks by on our sidewalk.  In my defense, it's a pretty busy sidewalk!

  And...o.k. I cheated on the seat cushions, I have yet to make them so I reverted to my old ways and wrapped them in material, this time sheets, so that it's easy to change them and wash them.

well that and because I haven't found time to sew new ones.

So even though we are being blessed with more rain than we can handle in places...

we are blessed to be warm and dry snuggled up in our home.

My prayers go out to the victims of the horrible storms in Joplin Mo. and all of the other communities in the neighboring states and their precious people who have had to experience the devestation.

much love,

Theresa xoxo

linking up to Transformation Thursday

if you haven't entered the giveaway there is still time!
check it out here

Inspired and challenged...

Have you taken Z's 15 minute timer challenge this week?  I have and can I say, it is liberating... I mean she said it would be, and while I do trust her explicitly, what can I get done in 15 minutes?

See this fabulous pink bread box full of dead flowers?

It used to be full of junk in my kitchen.

what a waste.

So I did it, I set my timer and cleaned it out!  I was in a purging mood and so those two phone adapters that nobody could remember exactly what phones they ever went to...

GONE!

Along with the umpteen papers, and scraps, and really just plain junk, that at one time or another I had convinced myself that if I threw the junk away then what would happen to the axis of the universe?

Would everything come tumbling down?

guess what...

NO!

 

Now look at it on my cleaned up front porch!

remember that house-tending I had to get to?

This porch was desperate for it.

Seriously, I picked up no less than 4 nerf weapons from this thing.

Max and his army have been banned from the front porch,

I'm sure the mail lady will thank me ;)

 Blogland is so inspiring and I just love that. I mean I think I am more inspired everyday!

Yesterday Alicia put a challenge out there for us to turn our cameras off of auto.

I don't have a big fancy schmancy camera, I have a canon powershot.  I love it and not that I think I am much of a photographer but I am really in love with my powershot now that it is set on Manual!

I was doing the happy dance as I started taking pictures, I would take one on manual and then one on auto, and I couldn't believe the difference.

maybe it's just me but the pictures look so much more crisp and clean!

I am a happy girl!

Blogland is a wonderland, a wealth of inspiration.

 

Did you know about dropcloth rosettes before the country of blogland existed?

I didn't.

Did you care about taking pictures of your clean porch and new spring wreath before you blogged?

I didn't.

When these buckets get filled with beautiful plants I will show you them again, promise!

I can't wait to put a beautiful little garden in the pink box.

Thanks Z!

And I can't wait to take more pictures.

Thanks Alicia!

This porch is next.  

Rehang the sheets uhum curtains,

New cushion covers out of dropcloth or something equally fabulous is in the works.

Thanks to all of you who stop by and inspire me.

love,

Theresa xoxo

I thought I would share a picture of this sweet little nerf mess maker and budding artist with his newest creation and his new glasses.

 Notice the details, the berry in the birds mouth and the barbed wire fence! love that!

See how cute this face is?  This is why, even though he is banned from the front porch, I will still share the side porch with him!

:O

I'm linking up to Sherry's party Open House Party Thursdays  and Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday
and Cindy's Show and Tell Friday