haunting my heart...

cri-sis (n)

1

a : the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or feverb : a paroxysmal attack of pain, distress, or disordered functionc : an emotionally significant event or radical change of status in a person's life <a midlife crisis>

2

: the decisive moment (as in a literary plot)

3

a : an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending; especially : one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome <a financial crisis>b : a situation that has reached a critical phase <the environmental crisis>t


turn-ing point

: a point at which a significant change occurs


brink

1

: edge; especially : the edge at the top of a steep place

2

: a bank especially of a river

3

: the point of onset : verge <on the brink of war>

4

: the threshold of danger

Mud on our Shelves

I just changed my desktop background to a photo of the library at Queen's College, Oxford so I would feel smarter.

Sometimes I wish I could just take hours and wander around a place like this...

I also wish I could soak up all the knowledge by just being there.

Alas, tis not to be.

I'm spending my evening with these lovely chaps tonight.

        

 

We prize and praise so highly the works of those who have gone before. Yet what I have found most interesting about Mr. Arnold's arguments is that he believes the best literature of mankind, the work that even the least educated among us could recognize--The Iliad, Romeo and Juliet, Pride and Prejudice, to name a few-- was always produced during a certain atmosphere of emotion, which then caused the writers to feel more deeply and so write in a way that caused others to do the same.

Makes me think that maybe the vast majority of what is published today is probably a load of crap in comparison. After all, I think we live in a fairly tame and dull climate when compared to the establishment of the Greek society, the Renaissance, the rise of Modernism, and so on. Nothing is true today, say the postmodernists, so then everything must be correct. And no one says, "No, you suck. Don't be a writer. Be a plumber. You are not a good thinker and you should not think of yourself as good at this art that is literature." Yet I walk into a book store and barely glance at what fills the front half. The good stuff is on the lower shelves, towards the back, marked down to seven and eight dollars. Yet you have to pay at least twenty for the biography of some girl who lived in the Playboy mansion and apparently has a story to tell, even though she has yet to reach 30.

i always will...

I'm struck today with how dangerous a thing love can be. "Every rose has its thorns," as we learned Monday night on Bachelor Pad, but, in all seriousness, it's quite true. One of the most dangerous, vulnerable things you can do is fall in love. Even worse, you can commit your life to that person. A person who will never be perfect, never bring you total satisfaction, and who will never be everything you really want him to be. Yet we rush headlong into love anyway. Love is an intoxicating thing. At times my heart feels so full of love for my man, that it could burst. And other times that love causes me to bury my face in my pillow and cry. It's a powerful, dangerous, intoxicating thing. I doubt I'll ever understand it. But I will continue to choose it. I choose Luke, and the joy and heartache that he brings into my life. I know I do the same to his.

My wonderful sister introduced me to a couple of singer/songwriters who put this oxymoronical truth about love into words.

Fun Finds

While my craftiness may have waned, my love for fun finds at yard sales, estate sales, and the best discount stores around (Ross and TJ Maxx), has most certainly increased. I have a wonderful friend to explore and shop with and we hit the yard sales at 8 am this morning in the intense heat and humidity to see what we could find. She ended the day with far more than I did, but I'm pretty excited about what I ended up with : ).

First, we visited a yard sale with very little, but the lady practically begged me to take what I did for $1. I'm quite pleased with it:

I'm thinking fried chicken and coleslaw during warm days...and maybe a place for blankets during cold ones.

Next, we drove past a couple of sketch places before coming to a cute house with kids selling lemonade. Here, I found what I am most excited about:

Decanters! I know they probably used to hold booze, but I can't get over the beautiful shapes. They're like giant vintage perfume bottles! My favorite part are the stoppers, which make a pleasant "pop" when pulled out of the bottles:

At TJ Maxx, I found some sweetness on the clearance shelves...

Candles! Aren't they precious?! The left hand one is a lace pattern, and I got two of them.

And finally, the best find of the day:

The illusive side chair I've searched high and low for is now mine! It's a soft blue-grey. The throw pillow is one I made a few weeks ago and happens to match perfectly!

My friend and I have a trip to Danville, VA to the nearest Hobby Lobby planned for next weekend, so we'll see what treasures show up from that adventure. Until next time!

thoughts in my head, as of late

Well, I'm finally back to VA after a two week absence. Although, I must say I loved every minute being home with my family. I haven't really done any more craft projects, though I have had a few ideas. Instead, I've been spending quite a bit of time writing. Surprise, surprise, the girl writes. I know, I know--kind of obvious. But I've had an idea for a book bouncing around in my head for the last several months, so while I was home I started outlining and drafting. I have the entire thing outlined now, and I'm working on the writing part. Let me tell you--writing is not for the fainthearted. Sometimes the words come so easily, but other times I sit for quite awhile without writing anything.

Anyway, enough about my writer's block. Not only have I been working on this book (which is non-fiction), but I also recently finished any essay that I'm considering entering into a competition. I just have to pick one. And pay the entrance fee. And actually decide if I want my stuff "out there." I must say, it's a lot safer here, with me, where no one will judge it.

I've also been studying quite a bit. I know what you're thinking...it's summer! Why would I study? That's a good question. And the answer is simply that I am no longer just a student. I am now a teacher and a student. That's right folks, I graduated to the big leagues (kind of)... Basically, I've been given one section of Junior High English 1 with The Potter's School to teach this coming school year. So I've been studying for that class. I figure I should know the material, considering I'll be teaching it. I honestly never thought God would make me a teacher...but apparently that's what I am.

the DIY bug...

So apparently the work and stress of refinishing my chest of drawers just wasn't enough. Meet my next project:

I bought this desk through Craigslist last week for $30. It's actually a really solid piece of furniture, with a lot of surface space for books and papers, and plenty of drawer space as well. When I bought it, I kind of talked myself out of redoing any of it since it's in fair shape. But I haven't been able to get the idea of turning "fair" into "gorgeous" out of my head. So here's what I'm thinking...

Green!!

Seriously though, I've been thinking about green on this desk so much, that I'm pretty sure I'll just have to go for it. The first desk has similar design elements to mine, particularly the scalloped edges along the bottom. Both the first and third desks have the traditional round knobs that mine does, but I'm thinking of replacing them with something more like this:

I found these knobs at myknobs.com, and both are less than $5 a piece. With only 5 knobs to replace, adding this finishing touch could be well within the budget.

While I am anticipating some serious sanding would have to take place, I think I'll be able to get away with a less involved paint job. I'll probably sand it all down, prime it all, particularly the drawers, then paint a couple of coats in either a satin or semi-gloss finish. 

I definitely caught something...what have I gotten myself into??

Shabbin up the Chic

Well, I've officially completed (almost) my first major DIY project. After finding this little beauty at the DAV for $28, I've now refinished her into something cute and functional, yet without breaking my very small piggy bank.  

The most difficult part of this project was definitely the sanding. I spent about 5 hours sanding down the entire thing, and got some serious back and shoulder pain in the process. And the end result hardly looked promising...

After sanding came priming...

Then painting it brown. It was during this part of the process that I wondered if I had, truly, lost my mind. I had just primed the whole thing white after sanding down the dark brown stain, only to paint it brown again. You'll see how ironic this becomes after this step...

There she is...dark brown again. Get ready for some massive irony...

Yes, I painted it white. Again. Bear in mind, this piece started brown. Then was sanded down. Then primed white. Painted brown. Painted white. Oh, it gets better...

I sanded it...again.

I must say, even though this process involved multiple steps that required some serious elbow grease, I'm really pleased with the end result. It's not quite finished though. I plan to put a sealant on since it will be used in my new place. And I need to put the hardware back on. Which, as it turns out, looks great on the "new" piece.