Pin It Weekly #319

Things for you to pin. Starting with ideas for your home: 

And also crafts to keep the kids busy. 

Critter homes are heaven right here.

 

Richard and I have been enjoying our backyard. The weather has been beautiful, though it is warming up somewhat. Lunch is generally a sandwich and fruit under the catalpa trees. There are two in our yard. They give deep, dark shade. See the red chair? That's my retirement rocker from BHS. Next to it are a green table that Rich made for me and his old green chair from the camper. 

This electrical pole is near the slough, or small lake, on the side of our house. The woodpeckers have made several large holes, which other birds have claimed for homes. Of course, Richard has several bird houses and as many feeders. The birds regal us with their chatter and song while we eat and several times they've given us a show. I especially love to watch the fledglings leave the nest.

The slough is home to ducks, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, turtles, frogs and any other wildlife you can imagine. The owls screech and hoot all night. The woodpeckers tap all day. And we enjoy every bit of it.

One nest that will soon have fledglings is this swallow nest that the parents decided to build on our front porch. Most people would discourage them from making such a mess, but we enjoyed watching them build and are now enjoying seeing the proud parents feed two mouths all day long. Back and forth, the poor things first carried mud and straw to build, now they come and go carrying worms and insects. I'm not sure which has been more work. 

This old boat, the SS Hershey because it was originally chocolate brown, sits on the edge of the slough as a reminder of when the boys were still young. William built it in shop class, and the three of them paddled it around every cypress tree in that slough. Finally they hit one cypress stump too many, tore a hole in it, and sank it. They used their dad's new four wheeler to draw it up on the bank and there it sits. It's a great home for several critters, most of whom I give a wide berth. 

This fella lives near the back window. We've watched him chase the hummingbirds for about two months. Thus far they've proven too fast, but he is persistent. Right below his perch is one of five feeders, but he's also trekked back and forth on the cable wire where the hummers love to perch. Now that they are nesting, we don't see as much of them or him, but they'll be back out soon. And there you have it: our little piece of heaven which we gladly share with the flying, crawling, slithering animals who enjoy it as much as we do.

A what-not-to-do DIY ~~ finished

Several years ago I salvaged a dresser mirror from certain death in a land fill. It was in perfect condition. Well, it was ugly. The mirror was dirty, but a spritz of cleaner proved it to be without scratches or other problems. The frame was  another thing. No amount of cleaning was going to make the brown, worn-out wood less ugly. 

But I could see potential there. If only I could figure out where, how, when to  use it. I mean, I didn't really need a mirror, ugly or otherwise. So it got put in the studio, where it leaned against a wall for years, a place where it could easily be forgotten. This mirror, it seems, never really had much chance of being truly rescued.

I really liked this decorative edge on the bottom.

Our master bath is getting a remodel. All new everything. Except! I've finally found a home for the mirror--above the vanity in the new/old bathroom. 

So what not to do? Ha, for starters just get to work doing something you've never done before without trying to figure it our beforehand. Or speaking to an expert. Or watching a YouTube video. Or anything that will tell you how you should go about it. 

The bottom edge of the mirror, which 
would have sat on the dresser, had 
so much damage that we removed it.

That's how we started. My sweet husband knows about refinishing, painting, building, fixing, anything mechanical. Still, we ran into a problem with the mirror. He's a  superhero at taking things apart and putting them back together in working order.

In this case he chose to not remove the back panel and mirror to refinish the frame. In our defense we didn't know how old or in what condition the inside might be and didn't want to possibly cause more damage. I liked this frame!

 We decided that since we were only cleaning and painting, we'd slip cardstock under the frame to catch any spills. So the blue in the picture is paper, not tape. Important. 

A first coat of Kiltz primer. Then a second coat. And  things were looking quite positive.

A first coat of the dark gray that is my contrast color. 

A second coat and we were ready to remove the cardstock and possibly hang the mirror. Except.

 The cardstock wouldn't remove. First, the paper absorbed the paint and stuck to the wood. Second, the wood absorbed the paint and expanded ever so slightly making the space tight enough to really hold the paper.  The paper was truly attached. And stuck. Of course, I had wiggled the cardstock deeply between mirror and frame. Maybe I was a bit enthusiastic. 

I tried several ways to remove that line of blue. We solved the problem the hard way: removed the backing and mirror. Then I sanded and scraped the paper until every tiny bit of blue was removed. 

Hopefully it looks like it belongs here.

Then we ever so carefully replaced the mirror and backing and Richard, who had measured the space between the mirror and edge of the frame, stapled it all back in place. I can't tell you how many times he checked that measurement. I wondered if it would change at some point. It did not.

Finished and hanging. Notice that the decorative detail is now
 on the top. Richard built the closet reflected in the mirror.

A kidding aside, I really like the mirror. It was difficult to choosing  between white (like the window and door trim) or gray (to match the other wooden "furniture"). More pictures coming when we finish the bathroom. It's so close!

Fire Saga Update: Friends, Housing, and lots of Love

If you've been following along for the last few days, you may remember that a fire started in the home of our oldest son. By the time the fire was extinguished, everything in the house was lost. However, the only truly important news is that everyone is okay. No one was home when the faulty wiring caused the smoke and flames. 


The other thing that I want to mention is the unbelievable love and support our whole family has received. People have been stopping by for days now, to deliver items, clothing, and money. It seems that our little community is actually quite big. 

Will's family lives in Chicot and their friends jumped in to help. We live in Evergreen; it didn't surprise us that people from our small town have done the same. However, people from other towns--Bunkie, Cottonport, Plaucheville, Hessmer, Marksville--have pitched in and donated and so much more. It's a bit overwhelming, actually.


For example, a woman who went to school with my sisters and me (40 years ago) sent a Christmas card and a check. Absolute strangers have donated money to them via a GoFundMe account. Others have bought Christmas gifts to replace the ones that burned with the house.

A great example of how  considerate people are came from the school the grandies attend. The principal gave permission for our kids to wear "street clothes" to school because their uniforms were lost in the blaze. Believe me, it's much easier to put your kid into a pair of donated jeans than to find uniforms over a traumatic weekend. 

But the principal was worried that the Marcottes, as the only ones in regular clothes, might feel like they stand out. To avoid that she took the regular clothes idea a bit farther and had a fundraiser. The high schoolers could donate money which would allow them to wear jeans and tee shirts for the week. The money they donated is meant to help us to buy uniforms, but since other students were wearing regular clothes, the Marcotte kids easily fit in. How thoughtful is that? 

We all have had to do some adjusting to life. That includes my not getting to emails, this blog, visiting you all, pinning--just anything on the computer.

One big adjustment has been the new living arrangements. To keep Will and Stacey's family  together with enough space for all of them, Rich and I moved into our 19' camper.  Adam and Jenny, who were living with us since their house became infested with mold a year ago, have moved into Will and Stacey's much larger camper. 

We're all making the best of it. Adam and Jen have a larger, nicer camper, but it's out in the open. Our camper is tiny but stored under a large shed. Both now have full hookups so it's very much like an RV park.  

We've set up tables, chairs, and our outdoor rug. For fun we call this area "the parlor." We also made a small play area for our Maltese puppies, especially the escape artists.

Rich pulled some of my potted plants over to protect them from the occasional 30 degree weather but they add life to our shed. I won't say we can live this way for a year or two, but for now we're all in it together and are making the best of it. 

Finally, it's time for a Milly Moment!
Miss Milly has a new tooth. It's a typical little baby tooth that her tongue found about the third day after it broke through, and she simply doesn't know what to do with it all. We've had such enjoyment from her nonsensical faces and tongue mishaps. That silly tongue seems to have an ADHD problem. 

Every time her tongue touches that tooth, it forgets everything else and probes around trying to figure out what's there. It's hard to eat, drink, or talk when your tongue is doing something else. And I'll leave you with that thought while you celebrate the holidays with family and friends. May you have a blessed and merry Christmas!

Personal Belongings Post 12 :: Write 31 Days

This idea of sharing your personal things may seem strange at first but can make for an interesting post. Followers, and people in general, are curious and most of us like human contact. I may not be able to visit you personally, but as I get to know you via internet, I am more and more likely to want to more. Sharing your personal things is a way of sharing your life.

Keeping in mind that TMI (too much information) is real, let's consider what you might share and why.

• vehicles--For some people the vehicle you drive and take care of is an extension of you. You can be honest and show the Cheerios that your kids spilled. You should clean out the car if it's looking like a pigsty. While you are not seeking to impress readers with expensive things, you don't want them thinking that you are disgusting. 
• work space--Regardless of the size, your workspace can motive others to organize their spaces, help them to see the difference that curating their supplies can make, or encourage them to work toward the goal of having a dedicated studio.
• niche specific tools--Sharing photos or videos of your favorite tools is much like recommending them to your readers. Tell them what motivated you to make the purchase. Include the cost of each item by looking it up online or add a link to a place where they can make a purchase. (Be sure to inform readers if you are affiliated.)
• home--Your house and décor are quite personal but, if you are willing to share, they can give much insight into who you are. My family has lived in this home for almost 25 years. Pictures of any room would show just how comfortable and lived-in it has become. No showroom-worthy life here!
• items you've made--I keep an updated quilt show on both my Pinterest and my blog and find that many people visit those pages. 
• closet or wardrobe--Again a very personal look at your personality and taste, you might look around carefully about what is visible before turning on the camera.

Photo credit: Ian Dooley @nativemello

• things that are "odd"--Collections that you've curated for years are compelling, especially if you tell their story.Perhaps you have several vintage items that are rare or that you are proud of. Items handed down through generations are always interesting. 
• sports or hobby items--Do you play a sport or hobby that you don't blog about? You can write a couple posts detailing your engagement, your equipment, and people who share this passion.
• volunteer work--Keeping the privacy of others in mind you can share those things that you do to make the world a better place. Consider taking photos when possible. Ask permission first, or take pictures at an angle so no one can recognize the subject. 
• special/surprise gifts--When I retired in May, the faculty gave us an after-school party. While it's common to give a small gift, there where five or six retirees--many more than the usual one or two, so we didn't expect anything a nice as the outdoor rocking chairs that the teachers presented to us. That was a surprise gift I could have shared.

Although I noted both the items and why they might be a good topic for your blog, I'd like to reiterate that there are stories in every aspect of life. You want to tell the story of those personal things you share: the time, place, event, why you (or someone else) chose it, where it was purchased, and so on. 

Then encourage your readers to join the conversation by asking a question that connects them to the item. For example, if you write about your hobby supply closet, ask how they organize their supply space. 

Finally, remember that you can be yourself in this type of post. Your house doesn't have to be immaculate, or your studio a cover page for a magazine. If your favorite tool has a nick or scratch, point it out and tell that story, especially if there's any humor to be told. 

Writing about Writing -- Links to all posts
Writing about Writing Intro

Inspiration Post 1

Inspiration Post 2

Behind the Scenes Post 3

Followers Post 4

Your Blog Post 5

Holidays and Special Events Post 6

Bloggers You Follow Post 7

Your Journal Post 8

Setting Goals Post 9

Product Testimonials Post 10
Travel Experiences Post 11

How to run errands the easy way

I had a few errands to run today. It's was such a beautiful day, too. Perfectly sunny with a little breeze. Maybe a little warm for my preferences, but that's what the shade is for. 

A lion keeping watch over the train as it rolled through Bunkie.

How to make the best of a chore I normally dread? Turn it into a beautiful day. Really. Just appreciate the scenes, especially the ones I wouldn't normally notice.

A corn field harvested and plowed before winter

Along the way I looked around and found a few especially interesting scenes around our little parish and thought I'd share them. 

A cotton field after the machines made their passes

Can I do this all time? Of course not. But I can make an effort much more often than usual. Because if we look closer and think about the places and people we do see, we can find beauty and feel joy. And what can be better than that?

Water lilies on the bayou outside of Cottonport

Before saying goodbye, I need to say "Happy Birthday" to our sweet grandson, who is 17 today. And take a look at these two silly girls who helped us celebrate with him last night. 

 Millie is growing so very quickly, but then who would believe that this boy, who we call Puppy when he was her age because he did his teething on the furniture, is now a young man? The beauty holding the tyke? Jolie, who is now in high school. Are yours growing up too fast? How do we slow them down?

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: L A K E S

We are spending the weekend on the lake. A wonderful quiet lake in the middle of the state with lots of inlets and pennisulas where fishermen tend to congregate. The park is run by the small town nearby and is well kept. 

I thought about the fact that my family went camping here when we were children. Now our children and grands (and in my case, a great-grandie) are here for Mother's Day fun. Since my family from in Louisiana, and some of the most interesting lakes are here, I thought I'd share some Pinterest pictures from my home state.

Although all of the lakes above are in Louisiana, not all the beautiful lakes live here. Nor do all the beautiful lake quilts. Here's a smattering of the ones that pop up with a "lake quilts" Pinterest search.