KALEIDOSCOPE...

Ka-lei-do-scope

n.

  1. A constantly changing set of colors

   2. Constantly changing phases or events

Life is a kaleidoscope.

 It is ever changing and 

sometimes the colors are brighter 

than other times.

The seasons change,

 each one bringing a different event, and 

a different perspective 

to the way we look at

 the world around us.

We grow up, 

we grow old, and 

how we manage all that, 

even though our 

surroundings and circumstances

 have much to do with that process,

 it is mostly up to us,

 as individuals,

 to figure it out on our own. 

 In a perfect world, 

our innocent selves would prevail and 

we would view all 

that we see and do 

through the eyes of a child. 

 Eyes that are still

 uncorrupted by

 life itself.

Sometimes we get lucky.

  Sometimes it is an uphill struggle.

  Whatever the case,

 if we do what we think is right,

 it usually comes out OK.

We make mistakes

 all the time. 

 We must be able to forgive ourselves

 these mistakes and 

go on with a clear eye

 so that the future 

comes into focus and

 we learn to live there

 in peace and harmony.

Where did 

all this wisdom come from,

 you ask,

 and why?

I'm really not that deep.

I was sitting here 

in my mistake filled sitting room, 

thinking 

it doesn't look too bad and 

reminding myself that 

this can and will be fixed in time and

 seeing that 

a tulip on the coffee table, 

almost at its life's end,

 was still beautiful 

at its core.

A kaleidoscope of views 

that could be, and 

probably will be in another time,

 so much worse than 

they are right at this minute. 

 It is a phase and event 

that holds so much gratitude 

for the 

here and now...

...and a reminder that 

if we keep our minds and hearts 
clear and open,

 for however long we can,

 we will be able to always 

see and appreciate 

 the changing colors 

...Judy...

Sharing today with:

Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda

and

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SO, THIS IS WHAT CROW TASTE'S LIKE...

I hope you all had a 
wonderful and sweet 
Valentine's Day.

I want to say thank you to
 Katie at Let's Add Sprinkles 
for featuring my little red stove 
last week and 
another big thanks to all
 who left such kind comments of anticipation
 about the up coming reveal
 of the sitting room.
  
I appreciate you all so much but,
 I regret to inform you, 
that all didn't play out 
as I had hoped and
 here are the reasons, 
without any sugar coating.

Fool me once...shame on you

Fool me twice...shame on me



We've all heard that old adage and 
a few of us have,
 most likely, experienced it.
  
At any rate,
 please let me keep believing
 that is the case. 

 Now, 
let's jump in with both feet! 

My imagination is huge.  
I often have an idea in my head and 
it seems 
oh, so right, 
but as it plays out in real time,
 sometimes not so much!

The scene above 
is a figment of my imagination. 
 It looked so pretty there, 
tucked away
 where it couldn't hurt anybody.

 My vision of a 
beautiful blue and white room 
with red accents and a little black
 to ground it all,
 along side a neutral background 
which is the carpet and the sofa.

  I closed my eyes and 
saw white sheets 
blowing on the line
 with windows open and
  lace curtains 
rustling in the breeze and 
the smell of 
spring in the air.

 (My imagination at work!)

 What could be prettier and 
not so different from 
the way that a 
country cottage 
should look.

Then the art came into play.

 I have had the above antique print forever. 
 It was once a gift 
to my grandfather
 from a wealthy woman that owned horses
 for whom he worked. 
 It was then handed down to my mom and 
later to me.
  I remember it hanging 
in my childhood home 
for many years.  
It has sentimental value and
 I really do love it. 
 It has hung on this same wall 
for quite some time 
after a stint in the library, and
 will continue to do so. 
 I knew I wanted something different 
over the sofa 
than what I had, 
so a journey on the internet 
took place for a pretty piece of art. 
 Everything I found 
was either not the right size 
or color or was too expensive. 
 My last ditch effort 
was to go to Hobby Lobby but
 before that I decided to 
check out some 
thrift stores...

 ...on my third try,
 I found two paintings 
that I loved and,
 as they were the right colors    
I decided to go for them.

 Long story short, 
when I got them home 
I really liked them with the horse print.
  They all have a brownish cast
 that worked well together.
  They were a little smaller than
 I wanted so turning them into
 part of a small gallery wall
 worked out fine. 
The rug was laid down 
and, whoa, 
 that's when my whole idea
 of a charming blue and white room 
went out the window. 
(I must admit, 
although I didn't say anything
 to the Captain,
 on the way home 
I already had my doubts).

What was I thinking? 
 (Feel free to roll eyes here)
 I really can't answer that question, 
so fast forward
 to another day, 
after a night 
of anguish...

...the rug moved 
into the parlor.

 It is a perfect match 
for the wallpaper and 
just the right size. 
I guess my subconscious 
had my back all along 
because I love it in there. 
 You would think 
that it had been planned.

 The sheets can still billow 
even if on a
different clothesline.

But, wait, 
I know you have spotted 
that ugly burgundy carpet 
- you are thinking that I still don't know what I'm doing - 
but that is what
 our next project will be. 
 There is the original fir flooring
 under that carpet and 
it will live again!

Now,
 back to the sitting room.

 I painted over the gray 
on the drawers of 
the chest and...

 ...it went from 

that to this,  

much brighter and lighter...

...now the sitting room 

is put back together and 

the Captain is happy 

that he got rid of that paint 

he didn't like, and 

we are both super happy 

with the blue walls 

(Skinny Jeans by Behr.)  

 It is a beautiful deep jewel tone 

that looks lighter in the photos 

than it actually is.  

It is a very soothing color and 

not at all 

dark or depressing.

If you look closely

 at the two prints 

you can see what looks like 

they are painted on a wood panel

 in the style of folk artist, Warren Kimble. 

They were marked at $10 each and

 we didn't realize 

there was a 50% off sale going on. 

We paid $10 for both

 which made them $5 each. 

They are not signed and 

are printed on a light weight canvas,

 stapled to a frame. 

I am assuming that 

they were mass produced on the canvas and 

just cut to the size of the frame. 

However, 

they are really neat little prints and 

I am very happy with them.

 I have always been drawn to anything featuring a little house. 

 I choose what books I want to read 

if they have a cottage on the cover.  

It sounds silly,

 but I have always been like this 

since I was a 

little girl playing house.

 My original thought for art

 on the walls of the room

 was a possible garden 

with bright flowers and 

a small cottage down a country lane. 

 That was what my vision was, and 

when I saw these two prints 

I focused on the houses.

  If I had seen them first, 

I would have gone

 in a whole different direction and

 would have chosen 

a different color of paint and 

a more casual carpet.

I am not totally unhappy

 with the room as it sits now.

  It is clean and neat and comfortable and

 we are both happy 

with the new paint 

so we will live with it for awhile 

( but just until we get

 the credit card paid off) 

then those new pictures 

might end up in 

the dining room, 

a great match BTW,  

(my subconscious working again)   

and the horse print 

back to the library and 

we will be off 

on another decorating adventure and 

the pursuit

 to perfection.

Do you often have

 to eat crow? 

 Please say 

I'm not the

 only one!

...Judy...

Sharing today with:

Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda

and

Keep In Touch at Let's Add Sprinkles

EXCUSE ME BUT...HAVEN'T WE MET BEFORE?...

Going back a couple of posts, 

I described how rooms in the Cottage were

 when it came into our safe keeping. 

 Over what seems like

 a long period of time, 

we worked diligently 

to change each room

 into the vision that was

 within our heart and soul.  

As it turns out,

 that vision that we had for...

...the guest room...

...the parlor...

...and the entry 

was right on point.

 With the exception

 of changing the entry and parlor flooring, 

those rooms, today, 

remain just as we saw them then. 

 They obviously were 

the right visions 

for us.

If you will remember 

our first choice for the dining room

 was wallpaper with a red background.

  Not very different from

 how it looks today.

It seems now,

 like we were on the right track back then.

  We just had to change it 

one more time

 before we

 knew it.

Our first go-round 

with the kitchen 

started out with a white background

 but added pink and blue to the mix 

as I showed you last time. 

 In between 

there were red checks and 

two different shades of yellow.

 Now it is returned 

to a white background. 

 The only difference is 

the red that now accompanies

 the white.  

On the whole,

 pretty much the same again.

The time has come 

to let you know 

what those five little words were 

that the Captain uttered 

on that eventful day:

"I don't like this color!"

As I stated at the time,

 those words sent me on a quest

 for the perfect color 

for the sitting room and

 I don't mind telling you, 

I was happy to 

take on the task.

Now, 

let me recount what the changes were

 in the sitting room.

  Our #1 journey was blue. 

 We loved it and 

lived with it, and our country decor,

 for quite some time.

As time passed 

we decided to make the room more fitting 

for a Victorian cottage,

 so we changed to a

 really pretty burgundy 

with a touch of gold bling and

 Gone-With-the-Wind lighting. 

 Then we decided 

another change was in order...

...so we went back to blue 

but the burgundy carpeting

 threw the whole thing off and 

we quickly nipped that combination 

in the bud.  

We then replaced the carpet 

with a light color and 

changed the paint to another light color and

 that is how the room looked

 until those fateful words

 were spoken by

 the Captain.

Maybe 

you have figured out 

where this is going by now, and 

I don't mean to be a tease, 

really I don't. 

 As most of our jobs go

 -very slowly- 

this one is no exception. 

 I had hoped to reveal

 the finished room today but

 it is not quite done 

so the final will be,

 hopefully,

 next week. 

 For now 

a small sneak peek 

at our 

final decision:

And - once again - 

we are right back

 where we started.

 I guess the moral of this story 

could be any number 

of old cliches:

What goes around, comes around.

Everything old is new again.

Don't second guess yourself.

Your first choice is always your best.

Or...

Don't look any further

 then your garage 

for a can of paint.

I'm looking forward 

to sharing it all with you

 next week.

...Judy...

Sharing today with:

Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda

and

Keep In Touch with Let's Add Sprinkles