A very full holiday season…

All the wayyyyy back in November, I wrote a post (in my head) about all my preparations for Thanksgiving…. now that the train has traveled all the way down the tracks to May, I think it is high time I posted something here.  In the interest of wanting this to sort of be as much of a journal as a blog, I am going to fill in with some posts about what has gone on since.

November started out with me trying a new project.  I am not much of a decorator, but I love TRYING to do things myself.  I have a set of antique cherry Chippendale dining room chairs that were given to me, along with a dining table, when we moved into our current house thirteen years ago.  The fabric on them, while a lovely color and not terribly worn, was stained in several places where I could not get the stains out.  They were desperately in need of new fabric. I knew this would require disassembling the chair bottoms and completely redoing even the spring coils on the underside of the chairs, as they had slid out of place.  In case you’ve never seen this, the above pic is what it looks like underneath a spring coiled dining room chair seat.

All of the fabric underneath the springs had dry-rotted, so it was no longer supporting the weight of a person, and badly needed to be replaced.  This required removing the old – which had been tightly stapled together and then nailed to the chairs with about 40 gazillion nails – and adding the new.  Removing the old was quite the task, and adding the new took nearly every bit of strength this old woman had.  After crawling around on the floor, pulling, then stapling, then pulling, then stapling, and repeating that until all strips were tightly criss-crossed underneath and the springs firmly in place, it was time to put the padding over the top and to staple the fabric on. 

I purchased a lovely damask fabric in golds and greens which I had kept for about 6 months with no “round tuits.” After cutting the fabric to fit the chair, I took staple gun in hand and went at it with just about all the strength I could muster.  Once I had the fabric securely on, I then stapled a layer of dark cover fabric on the underside to cover the unfinished places.  Lastly, I glued on the trim.  And the above photo is the result.

I absolutely love the fabric on these chairs;

I really enjoyed doing this myself, but I have to admit that I really overdid it trying to get this done in two days and injured my back in the process. They were, however, all ready for Thanksgiving which I held at my home for both sides of the family, including my brother- and sister-in-law and their family.

Of course, I got busy and forgot to get photos once the guests arrived.  But, at least I remember how I decorated the tables.  I was lucky enough to find these lovely cloth napkins in fall colors from Christmas Tree Shoppes four for $2!  What a steal.  The tablecloth was $3.  So, for under $10 I had cloth napkins for everyone. Not only did I feel like my house looked so lovely, but the fellowship was just wonderful…  so much so that I am still looking back fondly on the day and being thankful! 

Speaking of Spinning... and Not Being Antisocial

Does social media make your head spin, or is it just me?  

Photo credit: Hali Newberry Photography

My first foray in the social media world was Facebook.  Ahhh... what a great tool for connecting with all those friends from different eras of my past.  I really do love that aspect of it.  And, now that I have a 3 month-old nephew whom I never get to see in person (seriously, have you ever seen a baseball that cute???), it is a great way for me to "virtually" watch him grow.  But, Facebook really is so here today and gone tomorrow... and even though it saves my things, I have a hard time going back and finding something my friends have posted.  When I check Facebook, one minute something is there and the next it is gone.  I think to myself, "Wait, I wanted to read that."  Have you had a conversation with someone you wish you could go back and reread? I sure have... but, the posts just keep on scrolling ...and scrolling ...and scrolling by.

Then Twitter came along, the place where you can say whatever you want to for the world to see -- or at least your followers -- in 140 characters or less.  I think we can all plainly see why this one didn't work out for me...

Next there was Pinterest... what a great concept: a great visual representation of a link that I want to save.  And, I am such a visual person that it was perfect for me.  You know, the instant recipe keeper for all those delicious looking recipes you see in images all over the internet.  

It was also a great tool for organizationally challenged people looking to improve their organizing skills (me!)  And it was the perfect spot for curating a whole bunch of loveliness in one place.  However, three years down the road half of my image links no longer work.  So that recipe I put off trying for so long still looks great in the image, I just have no idea where the recipe is.  And the organizational site went "poof!" just like my organizational skills.

And then there was Instagram.  Visual instant gratification... "Hey family and friends, look at me doing this or that right now!" ...but with no real conversation (unless you count hashtags... don't even get me started on twentyhashtagsononepicturethaticannotreadbecausetheyallruntogether!!) And again, the images just keep scrolling and scrolling.  If I want to see something from 3 weeks ago I have to 1. remember who posted it, 2. find that person's username, and 3. go look through all their images until I see it.  Too much trouble... I'd rather just move on.

Which brings me right back to where I started ever having conversations online.  I am back here hoping for some meaningful dialogue (or even monologue, should no one care to read it!) interspersed with images and links that hopefully will be more (or less) permanent.  And I am thankful that there are still a number of you who feel the same way!

Not really antisocially,

Spinning Right On Its Axis...

So, has it really been three and a half years since I last posted? It's just hard to believe that, but in some ways it seems even longer. With my children grown but not gone, I am still in a very busy stage of life.  Yet, I miss the blog world, my friends made here, and the writing and photos that go along with storytelling.  So, I am going to make a renewed effort and try to not be hard on myself when I go for (what seems like) ages between posts. I can hardly believe that when I started this blog over eight years ago, I posted every day! Whoa, I don't know how I managed that and everything else. But, realistically I know that I have too many things going on right now to post everyday... but I can post sometimes.

Since that first blog post in May 2008, so much has happened in our lives as well as in the world of technology.  We have a lot of visual "instant gratification" these days through Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and all the other social media sites.  Yet, my writer's heart longs for a space like this to just ramble on about whatever is on my heart... and for something that's not here today and gone tomorrow.  I love being able to look back at the old posts here and see what God was doing in our lives then and how far He has brought us and our families.  I am using the word "our" because as I look back at the comments, I was not doing this alone. I have tried to stay connected to a number of you by popping in every now and then to read your posts and comment (sparsely, I know.) I am thankful that some of you faithful ones are still at this blogging thing!  It just makes my world feel that it is spinning right on its axis to be able to go visit your beautiful blog homes on the web.

I am still doing art along with graphic and web design, all of which keeps me quite busy.  I am currently in the midst of a very interesting commissioned piece of art for a young man who is about to get married... the piece will be a wedding present for his bride as a remembrance of the spot where he proposed to her.  It is such fun getting to be in on secrets like that.  I just rolled out a brand new website last week for a local small business in town.  I also took on the role of president of one of our local art associations this year, which has added to my already long list of tasks.  But, it has also given me the opportunity to become immersed in the local art community, to get to know some local artists whose works I have admired, and to learn many, many things about techniques, materials, shows, etc.

For those of you still connected here, THANK YOU for not giving up on me. I have always felt like our blog community was a bit of a "small town" on the internet, as those of us with common interests found one another early on.  For now, I am jumping back into this blog with both feet!  There is so much loveliness to be shared, and I want to be a part of the sharing.  I hope to see you around this great big world (wide web)!

Fall... ahhhh

Has it really been since August 4th that I posted last? Where does time go? These last couple of months have flown by in a whirlwind. Four commissioned art pieces and a massive website design, plus two weeks in another state, have made it seem like yesterday that I was telling you my in-laws had moved out. At least I have a little something to show for my time away. :) Here are some samples of artwork I have been doing...

Commissioned Work - Austin, TX

Commissioned Work - Dallas, TX

Commissioned Work - Enfield, CT

Commissioned Work - Chicago, IL

Commissioned Work - Thomasville, AL

And I must tell you that I am really excited about the new website I am designing for a friend and songwriter in the Christian music industry, Nancy Gordon. I have so enjoyed getting to know her through our phone conversations and e-mails. I hope that once her new site is live, you will go and visit. It is a really extensive site design, so I have been sucked far, far down into web code & design world. I am loving that I am getting to do this for someone whose business is writing praise and worship songs and lullabies. The neatest thing is that she found out about me and contacted me through a "friend of a friend," though she didn't really know much about me. But, I knew about her and actually sang her lullabies to my children while rocking them when they were babies. It just amazes me how God brings people together for His purposes. And if you have ever sung "Firm Foundation," then you have sung a song she wrote.

Lastly, I will share a couple of paintings that I have done in my painting class:

"Chateau" - oil on canvas (my attempt at really, REALLY loose)

"Blue Autumn" - oil on canvas

Well now you know what's been going on with me. I'd love to hear what's been going on with you!

Blessings,
Christi

Autumn showing off!

I want to send a virtual hug to all of you who have commented and checked in to see how I am doing. I am better... still coughing and gravely-voiced, but I actually feel like I am getting better now.



I took these pictures this past Wednesday, one of the few days lately when the sun shined for most of the day. I was on my way to a local Arts and Crafts fair and literally stopped my car when I saw the trees in the photo below.



I was fortunate enough to have my camera with me and began to snap pictures as quickly as I could before another car came along. The trees in this particular area were just beautiful.



It rained and rained last night, so I imagine many these beautiful leaves are on the ground today. I am so thankful I was the beneficiary of this particular view for that one day, at least.

Blessings,

FALLing into my nest...

I love autumn... love the cool nip in the air that comes and goes... the gentle breezes that sooner or later blow the leaves from the trees...

the myriad colors of the leaves as they begin to fall all around...



that the shadows grow longer and longer... the brilliance of the sunset...



the scent of fresh apple cider, pumpkin spice, and even the scent of burning leaves...



the vivid colors of chrysanthemums on porches... that there is a need to come in from the chill to the first fire of the season...



There is so much about FALL to love! Melissa, at The Inspired Room is hosting links to Fall Nesting. If you haven't discovered The Inspired Room, you must go and check out what you've been missing.