Thank your for stopping by the Motivated Monday Blog Party
at BeColorful
There were some spectacular links last week.
Each one brought a little something new and special to the table.
These were especially noteworthy.
I loved this.
BeWitchin' Shoes Pillow from Just Another Hang Up
and who said Halloween had to be all about black and orange?
Life in Rehab shows us her blue twist.
While The Perfect Life of Bliss gave us a real Show Stopper.
I hope you can take the time to be inspired by their creativity.
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A Lamp To Keep Me Grounded
Last week I posted about jumping off into that abyss/money pit aka my piano room makeover.
I removed everything from the room so that it could be painted.
Now I have to decide what I will be bringing back in
and what needs to be donated, sold, or repurposed.
There are a number of things from this room that aren't meshing with the image for this space that is beginning to form in my head.
Still, there is one thing that, regardless of style, I want to hold on to.
About seventeen years or so ago my brother and his new wife were coming to visit us for the first time in our new home.
I was proud of our new place and I was anxious to show it off ...
but just not yet.
You know how it is.
I wanted it to look perfect.
It didn't.
we had more space than we had furniture and my decorating style could best be described as something close to Early Little Tykes.
The worst room of all was the living room.
The windows were naked and the small room was empty except for a floor lamp, picture and a country blue camel back sofa.
It was the 90's after all.
When my brother called and said they would be driving through Missouri and wanted to stop by I only had two days to pull everything together.
I started to panic.
How could ever pull the house together in time?
PLUS
all three of my usually beautiful babies had the chicken pox.
( Before the Chicken Spots )
I had only met my sister - in - law a few times.
They lived in Ohio and we lived in Missouri.
Back then I wanted to impress her make her jealous.
What can I say? I was young.
She was a bit older and I thought much smarter than I was
but I was convinced that I was the one with the with the superior sense of style and the perfect offspring.
Yes, I said it.
So bad.
Now here I was with a half finished house and leper looking kids .
Not how I had played this out in my head.
I was sure that God was punishing me.
Did I mention that I deliberately exposed our kids to the chicken pox?
I did.
I know what kind of mother does that?
Me.
When I heard the next door neighbor kids had the pox
I immediately took the kids over to play with Cool Aid and too few cups.
Hey, to my way of thinking, it was summer.
At least now nobody would miss any school.
There wasn't any big vacation planned.
This was perfect.
If we could get this crud out of the way now,
it wouldn't interfere with Christmas or spring break.
I was actually feeling pretty smug about myself.
I just didn't plan on company.
Especially THIS company.
I'm not going to lie,
it did cross my mind to pack my scabby and cranky children into the car and head to the nearest mall to find something new to spruce up, update, or accessorize our home.
Yes, I am just that shallow but no I didn't do it - although towards the end of our week long home incarceration I did sneak them into a movie.
Hey, I was losing my mind okay? and we try and sit off by ourselves.
Anyway,
I decided I would have to shop the house.
I pulled some pieces from other rooms, robbing Peter to pay Paul.
It was looking better.
Next I grabbed this ginger jar lamp that I found buried in the basement cast offs.
It was brown and antique brass and the shade had a dent on one side which for now could be turned toward the wall.
I spray painted the lamp black while the kids were all down for what may have been a Dimetapp induced nap. :)
Oh come on. You know you've done it too.
Then, inspired by some patterns in a crewel book I had brought home from the library,
I went to town painting it.
It was my first redo.
Look at me.
I was creatively going green before it was even cool.
I'm not sure what my sister in law thought of it.
She never said.
Now it doesn't really matter.
I still have the superior sense of style and so far nobody is preggers or in jail.
Ah growth.
Seriously though.
I've learned by now to do things that please us and not to impress others.
Looking at this lamp reminds me of that and of a time in our lives when money was pretty scarce.
I never want to forget those leaner days or to take for granted where we are now.
The road ahead is always unpredictable.
You will be happy to know that the kids recovered nicely.
Our bank account is also healthier today than it was back then.
Another up side to growing older.
Much has changed since then.
Seventeen years later, though, and the lamp is still here keeping me grounded.
I've learned that even though I could go out and buy a new lamp today
that sometimes,
I don't need to.
Maybe what I need is right here in front of me just waiting for me to rethink it, repurpose it, or change it up with a fresh coat of paint.
Thanks for listening.
I hope you will link up your latest creations, renovations, and inspirations with me here.
Give yourself a shout out and Motivate me.
XOXO,
P
