My Grama's Soul

I have posted before about my little fireplace project.  Still fine-tuning the darn thing as I am trying to create something I am happy with. OK....here is the latest fix.  See the colored tiles I have incorporated in the recess.  I love them.  Our wall color in this room is still not a color I love...but must live with it for now. Here is another shot of what I have done.  Are you ready for the "rub" with these photos.  The "tiles" are NOT tiles at all, they are some wonderful colored papers I cut from a book I own.  Affixed them with Elmers glue and water and bingo.....looks just like expensive tiles.  When I have to be inside I always put my thinking cap on and try to figure out how I can be creative in some way...without spending any "cash".  The pillows on the sofa are old ones...and I simply pinned that little decoration on the front of the yellow one. Here is a shot of the room from afar...

Our home is an open room concept with the small entry space, dining space and living space all in one large room.  We have incredibly high ceilings....which I think are too high by the way.  To wallpaper any of these walls would require a major cost of both time and money, so I decided to paint my entryway a fun color pattern to attempt to delienate it from the rest of the open space.   Once again, it is just paint and can be easily painted over at some point in time. I have used colors that occur throughout my home....you can see that I'm not a three color kind of gal.  I have lots and lots of color in both  art and furnishings. In fact, I think this paint sort of looks like a painting all by itself.  Cost so very little to accomplish all you need is painters tape and paint.  You can do this with whatever color palette you love and it will fit right in with your decor. Well, that is my money saving tip...

It seems as though I rarely post on my blog anymore.  Not that I am that busy mind you.... My outside activities mostly consist of just living...seeing friends, going to clubs I belong to and getting together with family. However, lately I have been messing around the house again.  Painting on some of our walls in our sweet little spot.   I really would never consider myself a real artist but I do enjoy the process and my thought is that you can always paint the wall back to its original color.  Although, in this case I think you would have to put on a heavy coat of primer and I have used some pretty dark colors here. I have many pieces of art hanging on my wall but not a single piece of art ON MY Wall!! hahaha.... Hope all of you are having a great day....I am. xo Jo

You can never go wrong with flowers! Have a beautiful weekend. xo Jo

I am always doing something around here to spruce up our little place.  Since I seem to have accumulated a lot of little cans of paint, I decided I would paint a wall mural.  Now mind you......I AM NOT ANY KIND OF ARTIST....but it is always fun to see what I can come up with.   This is still early days on this project but I do enjoy working on this kind of thing. It started out being something completely different...in fact I was going to do a large face...but that went "south" in no time at all.....LOL LOL.....  So I decided to fill this spot with flowers and birds and foliage.   I decided to paint on this wall as you can see it when you come into our lovely little spot.  We also have a wonderful piece of art that I plan on hanging here when I am finished.   I have become fearless when it comes to paint....as I tell my husband.....IT IS ONLY PAINT.  YOU CAN PAINT OVER IT IF IT IS G...

O.K.....so you might ask.....what is bimbelling?  Came across this word somewhere in my reading.  It is akin to putzing or puttering around one's home or property.  I'm ALWAYS doing that. Thought I would share my  latest adventure into the bimbelling world...covered Brad's dad's old bench in an old scarf I have had for years.  While I was at it I decided to also cover an old cream lampshade with the same fabric.   We also hired a friend to help us hang this gigantic mirror that has been sitting on our floor for the last four years. Little projects being completed with little or no cost to us. Next on the list: This pillow remade with fabric from an old tote that was falling apart.    While I was at it, I used the pom poms on the tote to embellish a favorite jacket.. Also used a strip of the African print on the edge of the pillow above. Added part of an old scarf to a Euro Sham on our bed to fluff...

It does not matter what age one is......you can still have fun with color. I have lived in 10 houses during my lifetime and I have pretty much decorated everyone of them myself.  Now, mind you, I am NO DECORATOR.....but I do know what I like and how I want to live. Each time I have moved, I certainly have not been able to afford new things....so I just keep recycling them same old things I love. Getting out the paint and changing up my color scheme to match my mood is something I have done in each home.  Lately, my mood has been pretty lively if I do say so myself. Little table above used to be a boring brown...lamp...a navy blue..got tired of both..so changed the color on both. Yellow chest below used to be red....then a rusty orange and now sunny yellow. Have used all the art from my other houses in new rooms and in new ways...just to mix things up.  I like shopping from my own home to change my feel. My beautiful husband accuses me of ...

I don't buy much for our house anymore.  Since our downsize we just don't have that much room and besides I gave away so much when we moved that I NEVER want to have to do that again.   But this particular item....I could not resist.  It is a handmade deer head using old saris from India.  Pieces of straw are intertwined with beads and fabric.  His nose is a little to square...but I like things that are not so perfect.   I added the camel bells and the little bird just for decoration.   Try not to notice the little spackle patch on the wall, as I move things around I try to patch all the nail holes from previous endeavors.  I just have not had time to paint them.   I collect Kantha cloths from India..in fact it is probably the only thing I collect.   You can use them in so many ways.... as door coverings... our entry doors into the rooms in this house are all set back a ways so I can use these K...

ENJOY........ Jo

I have been away from blogging and my creativity for quite some time.  Like many of you.....I love to mess around my house doing unusual things here and there.  I keep many beautiful things including calendars with beautiful art.   I came across these the other day and decided I would use them in a way so  I could see them daily.   Many of you probably recognize many of these masterpiece works of art. This is the entrance to our den/TV room I'm in here most nights with the dogs watching my favorite net flicks. I plan on putting a frame around the whole thing with trim board and painting it the color of the wall.  Then it will be like one huge masterpiece painting. I hope this will be the start of me getting back into some sort of creative mode.....I do miss it so.   Hugs from here. Jo

Oh my....it has been forever since I have been here in blogland....... Just sharing an inexpensive little something in decorating today.   My dearest  friend has one of these..... At least I think Robert is a Macaw and not a Parrot....anyway...she has had him for over 15 years.  Did you know these birds can live like 80-90 years or so?  As you can tell, Robert has beautiful multi-colored feathers.  My beautiful friend has been saving all his tail feathers after he molts and she was gracious to share them with me as she knows how much I love ALL COLOR.   I used them in a floral arrangement for the 4th of July....but they were so very pretty I did not want to pack them away.  So.......I figured out how I can enjoy them during this hot AZ summer to add a jolt of color to this colorful house of ours. This is a ZZ Plant  have at my front door....just a little burst  of color to make me smile when I come home. ...