more florida living - part five

welcome back!  come on in to my kitchen.  i hope you brought your appetite with you because i just made some chicken bar b q, tossed salad with balsamic vinegrette and cranberry/apple/fig chutney.

have a seat.  i normally sit on the middle one, but i'm happy to share it with you if you prefer that one.  the stool on the left came with me from up north.  the middle one i found at some outdoor vintage mart. it was totally rusted, but nothing that a can of white spray paint can't fix.  the one on the left i found when shopping with a friend.  it was gray and i painted it, too.  my husband usually sits on that one.

we had the tile put on underneath the counter area this summer.  the man who did our tiling tried to talk me out of this tile saying it would look like a bathroom wall but he couldn't have been more wrong. i just love the crisp, clean look it has.  once he finished the job he admitted he was wrong.  i tried not to rub it in too much.

he also put up a tile backsplash for us.  i love subway tile.  that brightened up the room as well.  there is something about white i just love. 

this small table belonged to my aunt.  i really cherish it and am so glad i was able to have it.  i originally used it when i lived up north as my sewing machine table, but it has its own perfect space here in florida.  the rug under it, which is one of three i have in the house, my husband's grandmother made.

flowers from a friend and the little white pitcher was a gift from another friend

an  upclose snippet of my original art - i just love this little bird

this piece is very important to me in so many ways.  this was my husband's father's.  it was the original postal desk in a little town called kunkletown back in pennsylvania.  todd's dad was the post master there for many, many years and when they got rid of it he was able to take it.  he used it as his tool bench for the rest of his life. it was dark brown, but i was on a roll painting everything white, and i just love how it turned out.  the little hole on the front right was where he had power cords and there are three holes on the top right above it where he had his vice screwed down, but i love each mark.  it reminds of him everytime i see them.

i made the stained glass mirror and the bread basket many years ago

i found this old white bowl at a thrift store and it's perfect for my fruit

this photo requires more than a caption i think.  the yellow stained glass fish in the very back i made in church school when i was very small.  for some reason i've kept it all these years.  it's very meaningful to me most likely because my faith is of paramount importance to me.  i made the little manager scene for friends and family one year as gifts for christmas.  i'm so glad i kept one for myself.  the little white chicken belonged to my husband's mom.  i acquired it when she passed away.  it just makes me smile and i am truly grateful every time i see it.

a very old wooden plate that belonged to my grandmother

some refrigerator magnet art made by my friends and a few by me, too

i hope you enjoyed your stay and that you'll have time to come back and see what is back the hall.  you may want to bring your suitcase for this next part.  see you soon.

tando - tag you're it

over at tando there was a color scheme of pink, green and orange that i applied to my tag.  these type of challenges push me out of my comfort zone.  i find limiting colors to just a few are harder to get images to pop and stand out. 
i used one of tando's small bookplates and a few of tando's mini stars.  i also used the leaf mask in the background design.
i used my rubber stamp heart vine, scalloped lace border, part of i'm learning to fly and my flying bird.
i hope you will be inspired to work on a tag with your tando and stampotiquegoodies!

florida living - part four

welcome back everyone.  i'm so happy you sat for a spell until i tidied up the place.  come on in.

the first room you will be in is the dining room, but it is connected to the living room and kitchen. it is all one big area.  the ceilings are vaulted and i just love how open it feels.   when you come in you are in the left part of the dining room.  here is what you see to the right of you.

that big white cupboard made the move. it weighs a ton and my husband has told me he will never be lifting that to move again.  i told him i'd have to hire movers then.  above the white cupboard is a hand

 carved oak angel i bought many years ago when i was still in pennsylvania.  she just HAD to make the trip.   you can see something baskets and a tray on the top of that cupboard.  i painted the tray and although i never used it i really like it.  i had to keep it.  i also use to do basket weaving a long time

ago and a few of those baskets i made. i have many more stored at my mom's house and hopefully they will make their way here eventually.
the tiny high chair to the left of the white cupboard i got for a real bargain down here and it was purchased in high hopes i will get some grandchildren visits very soon. 

the chair you see in this photo was in my grandfather's family.   it's very old and i just love it.

my table centerpiece

the view out the glass sliders of my side patio

a special piece of art from a friend graces my indoor tree

 the living room adjoins the dining room. while this is not the best photo, you can make out the big white flowers on the sofa.  mostly everything i get is kind of plain, but i loved the bold print when i saw it and i think it adds a nice touch of whimsy to the space.

aside of the flowered sofa is a little bench i painted white.  the little coffee mat was made by an art friend.  her sewing is exceptional.  the coasters in the basket i made and they made the trip, too.

the coffee table came along, too.  it's just the perfect size.  the little table mat and the crock i found on

 an adventure with a friend.  i added the trim around the neck of the crock.  the little flower

adornment was a ring i made in a tim holtz class.  i love how it looks on there!  
the tv stand was brought down as well.  from the time i purchased that old dresser for $10.00 at a yard sale my husband disliked it.  i don't know why but every time he had to move it he'd say it was a piece of junk and we should throw it out.  i insisted we keep it around and turn it into a tv stand.  it took about 10 years, but finally he dismantled the second drawer, added hinges to the drawer front and that is where our dvd player is. 

the cupboard in the corner was given to me by a client from up north.  the man told me he had some junk he picked up on the street corner that would be perfect in my house.  i laughed out loud.  good thing i wasn't offended and went to see it.  it was missing the window in the top but i fixed that by making a stained glass window of a spider plant.  i really like how the little baby is 3 dimensional.

the tv stand and the corner cupboard were nearly identical in paint color.  i couldn't believe how well they went together.  that makes them even more special to me.  i think todd appreciates them more now.  at least he didn't complain when he moved them this time. 
thanks for stopping by today.  the next part i will be showing you my kitchen, so i'll get busy and bake something delicious for your next visit.

florida living - part three

welcome back everyone.  so happy you made it to my front side door! i'm glad you found time to visit.  come on in and sit a spell. this is my favorite place to sit.  i am crazy about this sofa.  it's all stuffed with feathers and is very comfortable.  the clock on the wall was a great find down here because it is just like one we had up north.  it brings back good memories.

    
the christmas cactus to the right belonged to my mother-in-law.  it is very special to me because we took ownership of it when she passed away.  i've had it for years and it survived the long trip down in the back of the suv.  i smile whenever i catch sight of that little frog sitting amongst the leaves.

you can see something hanging from the ceiling in the first photo of the lanai i posted.  it's a fish my friend made for me. she does lots of fused glass and made them for fan pulls.  i just love it and have 2 more hanging from fans inside of the house.  it adds just the touch of whimsy i love.

i had wanted to have a table in the lanai but there just wasn't enough room with the oversized furniture i ended up falling in love with, so when i found this drop leaf table at a local consignment shop my heart sang. it was the perfect fit to use as an end table. 

i love curling up on the sofa, drinking some tea and reading my books. that tiny little candle holder belonged to my gram.  it's old and i just love it.

the tile floor is new.  the original floor was painted gray in a block pattern which was functional but lacked any personality whatsoever.  what a time we had to find tile we both agreed upon. this is what was finally selected,  but i shamelessly admit, i had to use my "wear 'em down" skills.

i was really hoping to have true mexican tile but there just wasn't any to be found.  even though it isn't what i thought i wanted, i really do think it is warm and wonderful.

when i'm on the sofa i get to have this view.  it's so peaceful.  i love listening to the water feature outside of the window.  it's a really magical place to be.

you will often find todd sitting in this chair.  i made the rag quilt that hangs on the back of it.  one of my dear friends gave me those crow squares that i incorporated into the quilt.  it means a lot to me.
that little stand to the left i found on one of my outings to a thrift store.  it was the perfect fit and gives todd a place to put his coffee cup.  if you take a closer look at what's on the top of it you can see my

little zentangle bird i did.  i am quite fond of it.  the african violet is in remembrance of my gram.  she loved those flowers.  she has strict instructions to take care of it for me, and honestly, i think she is because it hasn't stopped blooming since i bought it.  the little yellow heart shaped stone was a gift from a friend.  it says "thankful" on it.  i am.  i have a truly blessed life.

i have other plants in the room as well just because i love them so much.  it's a little bit of the outdoors indoors.

there's always an angel watching over us

do you think i'm a collector of benches?

i had to have this angel fern.

see those tiles under the door to the right?  the same friend who made the little fish made these tiles for me.  i love the added pop of color they give to the room.  which one is your favorite?

this door takes you into my house.  would you like to come in and see what's next?  give me a moment to tidy up the place and i'll be back to show you more.

florida life - part two

welcome back.  i'm so happy to see you.  we're off to see the next installment of the little series i will share of my florida house.  so hurry up and come around that little white picket fence! on the very corner a little bird has been awaiting your visit. it made the trip from pennsylvania just for you.

here is the walkway that leads you to the lanai entrance.  see the little bend of concrete walkway?  that is new and was added this summer.  there was a front door on our screened in lanai when we bought the house.  the painted walkway ended at the front door,  but we took out that door to allow for more living space in the lanai.  it was a very good decicion.  the new concrete has to cure before it can be painted.  everyone keeps telling me - "all in due time" - but my patience level only speaks the language of "right now".

this fern was salvaged from my next door neighbor's yard when she was getting rid of plants.  it has been really thriving in that spot and that makes me so happy.  i had ferns at my house in pennsylvania and it is a beautiful memory for me. 

a little lantana love

that tree is called a bottle brush tree.  the fire orange-red blossoms on it look just like a brush you would use to clean bottles.  i love it, but so do the bees.  thank goodness they are more interested in the pollen than me!

this is the little water feature we just added.  it sits in front of the lanai enclosure windows.  the little water bubble lights up so you can see it even in the dark.  i really enjoy hearing the water trickle.  it reminds me of the sound of our koi pond back home.  i think it will be such a pretty part of our lanscaping when the plants get more mature.   i was really happy with the red grasses we planted and then the very next day the man who mows our lawn told me the snakes love to lay in those grasses so i should always poke them with a stick before i prune them.  i am pretty sure i would have been better off not knowing that because since then i have worried about the grass attracting snakes.  my husband says no need to worry, but i think it was easier for me to trust him on using the suv for a u-haul then on this issue. the beautiful deep-pink flower is coreopsis and is what we had planted at our pond up north - another fond remembrance.

as you round the bend on the concrete walkway you come to my side yard.  that little black, wrought iron fence made the trip from up north, too.  i just loved it and was a special gift from my aunt. 

we love this little patio and use it very often. the canopy is remote controlled and provides a gorgeous outdoor setting.  it also is extremely helpful in keeping the sun and heat from blaring in the glass sliding doors that are to the right of the yellow wicker chairs. 

we found this great metal structure at the cutest little town called micanopy.  you should have seen us trying to get it in the car.  what a fiasco that was.  we forced it in the trunk of the jetta and the trunk was open wider than it should have been.  on the way home we were in the worst rain storm you could think of.  it rained so hard you couldn't even see inches in front of you.  it took the car days to dry out.  what a mess.  but i love it so much and it looks wonderful in that spot.  the little round orb that hangs inside of it made the trip from pennsylvania, too.

this little mobile came along for the ride, too.  my husband gave me this for a gift.  it is made from silverware.  i just adore it and it hangs right outside the entrance to my lanai.

so you've made it to my front door.  i can see you! can you see me?  make sure you make it back for another installment.  behind that door is my newly enclosed lanai.  i can't wait for you to see it!

florida life

my husband and i were both born and raised in pennsylvania.  he taught at the same school we attended.  both of our boys had him as one of their teachers.  most of our families live there.  our world was a small world in so many ways. so it is quite amazing to me that we are now living in florida.

if you had ever told me that i would move to florida, even as little as 5 years ago,  i would have laughed, thinking surely you were mistaken.  but lo and behold, here i am, living proof that god works in mysterious ways.

in june of this year my husband officially retired ( a bit early) from school teaching.  we listed our house in pennsylvania and it was sold in 6 weeks.  we closed almost immediately and had only a week to clear it out.  it happened so quickly, and as i look back, in some respects that was good, because i didn't have time to "think" about things.  i just had too much to get done in such a short period of time.

my whole life was in that house, and while i did really well over all, i will confess i had literally an hour where i cried.  i did have overwhelming feelings hit me, mostly in the"letting go of stuff" that i had in storage.  my husband and his two friends were loading up the dumpster and just wanted me to make decisions faster then what i could process.

my husband was positive we didn't need a u-haul and that we could fit 30 years of our life into the back of our ford escape.  i trusted him and i thought if he thinks we can do it then we probably can. as i write that i ask myself, really?  what were you thinking woman?!  little did i know that the sentimental side of me would want to bring so much more then actually would fit into the back of that car.

we packed the truck (beverly hillbilly's style), attended the closing and headed out on our journey to florida.  we made it in 2 days time, much to the chagrin of my husband.  he had more of a 3 or 4 day trip in his mind.  the first day we stopped in virginia at our friend's house and spent the night.  the next day we drove from there to our house in florida.  it was a long, grueling day, but i knew we'd be so happy to wake up the next morning in our own bed.  we were.

so here we are.  enjoying our new life as floridians.  i love the sunshine, the warmth, and the ability to be outside nearly every day.  i'm making new friends and learning to be independent in so many ways.  it's all been a really terrific experience.  i am truly blessed.

since the move, i've been asked many times, by so many people, to share photos of my home in florida.  we've been busy working on it since my husband retired, and while there are things i'd still like to do to it, i'm not sure i've convinced him it should be done, so i will continue to work on fine tuning my "wearing-him-down skills".

in the meantime, consider this blog post the first installment of photos to show you the little slice of paradise i live in and the place i now call home.

here we are at the front of my house.  i love the little white picket fence because it feels so quaint and charming.  that is jasmine growing on it and when it is blooming it smells divine.  here are some of the other beautiful flowers i get to see and smell by that little white fence:

a deep peach hibiscus

a brilliant fuschia daisy

a fragrant yellowish pink rose

in the first photo, if you notice the burgundy awning,  that is something new we did to the house this summer.  we decided that when we enclosed the front lanai we would put it up to help with the heat of the sun.  it's been a most welcomed addition.  not to mention, it also adds character to the front of the house.

i hand painted this sign a few years ago when we first bought the house.  it was so bright and colorful initially, and despite the multitude of coats of varnish i put on it, the florida sun has managed to strip the color.  one of these days i will get around to repainting it.  so for the moment, you'll have to imagine the sign in bright shades of yellow, pink, teal and blue with red hearts.

i hope you'll be intrigued to come back and see what is behind that little white picket fence.  there is so much more to see at nicholas place.

stampotique challenge time

this week at stampotique, jenn, has asked us to create a card with more than one fold. i like making cards like this because it is something out of the ordinary.  i used the sentiment chair up stamp, the love you heart, the velvet chair (one of my personal favorite stamps) and jasmine to create this card.

if you would like to join in on the fun you can find all about the details by clicking the above link.  If you play you will have a chance to win a $30.00 gift certificate towards Stampotique stamps, and really, who couldn't use more stamps?!

i'm a winner

look what i won!  turns out i am a winner on violette's blog anniversary giveaway.  what exciting news this was today.

rubberstampmadness

Submit artwork to RubberStampMadness!

MUSIC is one of the themes for the Summer 2014 issue of RSM. We'd love to see what you stamp on this topic. Perhaps include your favorite song or musical instrument, singer, band or orchestra in your artwork. JEWELRY is the second theme. We will publish a variety of stamped jewelry. Click here for details: http://www.rsmadness.com/submissions.html. Note: If it's easier to send in a jpg of the jewelry, rather than the original piece, send that to images@rsmadness.com.  Dec.10 is the final postmark date or e-mail date for artwork submissions.