Fabulous Giveaway

Go see Anne over at Fiona and Twig to win a $25 Anthropolgie card and this cool book. But if you win it, promise me you'll lend it to me! I need all the ideas I can get.

Some Randomness

So, the nasty flu seems to have left for now. Thank goodness. Jason is back to school, and it's just me and Adam for the day. This picture is from last Sunday. He got worse, and looked a lot worse, throughout the week. Of course, no one believes in my clinical judgment, and practically called me incompetent for not taking him to the doctor (who I did speak with on the phone). I watched his fever, gave him meds, listened to his lungs every day, and watched for complications. There isn't much more to be done when it's viral. And guess what, he got better without a visit to the doctor. Go figure.

Packing is in full swing, well.... sort of. I'm sure in the next week or so I'm going to hit a point when I can't really pack too much more, because we're using it! My mother-in-law may be comng down next week to help me- isn't that sweet?

We've temporarily adopted a dog. He showed up the other day, limping and generally looking a little thin. Chris didn't want me to feed him, but it was obvious he'd been on the road for awhile. He was thin, shy, and seemed a little disoriented. He appears to be an Akita mix. Duchess, our other dog, is in heaven. They play all day, which is a good thing. It keeps her out of trouble. I'd consider keeping him, but Chris is set on getting a German Shepherd when we get to Maine. And I just can't see having 3 dogs- that's too many for me. What a difference it is already, having two. Enter my mother-in-law... hopefully she'll take him back to Maine.

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Still browsing the internet, looking at kitchens. Our kitchen in Maine has double ovens, which we were going to replace. Now looking at the prices, maybe we'll see if they're usable. I know they work, but the way the kitchen is set up, they are jammed back in the corner. I'm not sure how they even got them open, with the refrigerator so close. It was kind of dark in the house, and it was hard to get a good look at them. Plus, they seemed dirty. Not old, though.

Still loving the idea of blue in the kitchen, but rethinking the cabinet color. I like the cream cabinets with slate gray counters. I figure the blue could be used as an accent color, and in the eating area.

gotta love the Aga- a cool $15.000

The eating area is large, and has a spot for a woodstove. I'd like something like this for that area, but adding some whitewash/plaster above it to lighten the wall. The window wall would be perfect for a built in bench, with a long farm table.

This table is big bucks- so Chris better get busy building!

What have you been up to?

hugs- Lee

Ah, flu.......

We're fighting the flu here- yep, H1N1. Bummer. I hate when the kids are sick, I'd rather be sick myself.

That being said, see ya' in week or so when Jason's on the mend. Cross your fingers Adam doesn't get it.

hugs- Lee

Swap Bag

I joined in a bag swap over at Joli Paquet. Kath from Out On A Whim was my partner. I got hers in the mail a little early, so that I can start packing up my crafting stuff for the move.

The idea was to make or buy a canvas tote, and then stuff it with fun things. It could be Halloween themed, but didn't have to be. I bought a tote and stamped with some paint, and added a fun iron on. I didn't embellish too much, because I wanted the bag to be functional- meaning, not getting caught on things. Unfortunately, I scorched the iron on a little, but I didn't want to throw the bag out. I'm hoping after she uses it a few times, the overall vintagey feel of the bag will hide the brown marks.

I filled it with a bat garland, a paper and pom pom garland with a brass stencil, game cards, candy, Martha Stewart magazine, Halloween candles, fun old linen doilies, old needlepoint, and a cool dress pattern rose pin that I made.

Kath received her bag yesterday, and wrote to say that she loved it. That makes me happy.

hugs- Lee

The Truth

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of events. We sold our house and bought another in the span of about 10 days. The reality of moving is sinking in, sinking hard and fast. I am frenzied and inert, finding it impossible to settle down, and impossible to move. How can that be?


The truth of the matter is, I am leaving my home. Home. Lately I find myself hyper-aware of the sounds and scents of surrounding me. I will be leaving them soon, all too soon. The sound of spring peepers in the dawn and dusk are like music to my aching heart. They were in full chorus the other night, and I realized that this sound sums up my childhood. It will forever be the sound I fell asleep to at my parents farm.

The familiar clipclop of the Amish horses passing by, metal wheels grating against the pavement. I haven't seen any Amish in Maine. The woosh of the deer as they let me know they are there, the call of the ponies in the morning, asking for breakfast. The sound of the wind through the great oak trees, the swishing of the corn. The corn in Maine is a pale comparison to the corn down here. Golden fields of pumpkins and soybeans. Tobacco hanging in barns. All of this is part of who I am. I cannot forget it, and yet feel that I am losing all of this. My children will certainly forget, and that is like a knife to my heart. They won't be from here, they will be from there.



I know there will be new things in Maine. Maine is a lovely state, and I love New England. Knowing how homesick I am already feeling, I can only imagine the feeling of wholeness- completeness- that Chris is feeling now. We are, after all, returning to his home. The place that has been calling his heart. It is both a sacrifice and a gain for me. Again, the paradox.


That's all I can say. I can't put a smiley face on it right now. Right now it's too hard.

More Inspiration

I spent alot of the day on the internet yesterday. I was packing, and feeling frayed and anxious. I kept running back and forth to the computer, checking and re-checking my favorite blogs, site, and then ended up browsing more pictures.

Here are a few that I found:

Our new old house has a huge laundry room. I'd really like to put french doors to the outside, and utilize the room a laundry and mudroom. I love the use of cabinets and shelves to make this look more like a furnished room, not just a laundry room. A table to fold laundry on would be so nice- even though hubby insists it'd just be place for more junk... I want one of those ironing boards that folds back up into the wall, too.

I LOVE these pendant lights. And the blue tile counter. The porch screen door is actually to the panty- clever, huh? We could SO do this to the utility room-that-can-be-a-pantry-instead...
This is a completely different look, with fun chandeliers in the kitchen. I love the built in plate rack.
Check out the sink! I have found them online, but apparently they are very heavy, and made in China. I'd like to find one on this side of the ocean. I also like the island, which our kitchen sort of has already... we certainly have the room! I like the beadboard backsplash too, but think something scubbable would be better.

I like the idea of open shelving for at least part of the kitchen. It adds a nice airiness to the room. Plus, some focal interest for some cool old kitchen things. And maybe some jars of candy!


enjoy! hugs, Lee

Time To Give

Remember this past summer when I said I'd found an organization to contact so I could send some care packages overseas? Yeah, well, they never got back to me, even after a few emails. Makes you wonder, huh?

Anyway, all politics aside, the fact remains that our soldiers, many of them youngsters, are overseas fighting. They are far away from home, probalby proud to be out there, and homesick just the same. Many of our soldiers are lacking amenities, and it seems to me that we can help them out.

Enter Letters With Love, a non-profit organization run by the Daltons:

For years the Dalton Gang has been adopting soldiers and finding ways to spoil them with care packages - always including items that would help them stay in touch with their families. And then one of our own enlisted and it all took on a whole new meaning.

When Kari learned from her deployed daughter that Christmas cards were not readily available in the Mid East, she took on the crusade of providing boxes of Christmas / Holiday cards for the every soldier who wanted them. So the call went out to other friends serving in the military. Would they like cards and how many would be needed? The proverbial snowball became an avalanche & the mission continues on.

There were folks and merchants that contributed cards that said they wished we were a non-profit and they would contribute more. So that's what we did. We became Letters With Love, Inc, a 501(c)3 Contributions to us can be used as a tax deduction.

I'm in the process of hunting and gathering to send a package of to Kari. You can donate funds for packages and postage, but I felt like I wanted to get these things myself. Somehow, it makes it more personal to me. Here is the list of things the organization currently runs out of on a regular basis-

· Carmex Lip Balm
· Travel sized hand sanitizers
· Disposable razors and gel shave cream
· Travel sized tooth paste
· Travel sized baby wipe packs
· Travel sized gold Bond foot powder and body powder
· DenTek pick and scaler set to clean weapons with
· Travel sized body wash
· Travel sized hand lotion
· A writing tablet, a box of envelopes, and a pack of black ink pens
· A pack of 10 greeting cards
· Beef jerky

I know times are tough, but if you can, please go out and pick up some of these goods and pass them onto Kari. It will make being away from home a little bit easier for our soldiers.

THANKS- Lee

Need Ideas

I just received my copy of Jeanne D'Arc Living from Tracey over at French Larkspur- and it it's gorgeous!! Chock full of pretty rooms with old and new items- perfect inspiration. Luckily, this is a kitchen issue, since Chris and I will be doing over the Maine house kitchen first.

The kitchen is a great size, the but the double ovens, cooktop, and refrigerator are all jammed in a cubby at one end. The lower cabinets are horrible, not even salvageable. The upper ones might be usable, somewhere else. The sink is infront of a large window, which is nice. I'll be able to watch the boys out on the swingset. I'm hoping that there some sort of decent floor under this tile. I think a painted wood floor would be great in here.

We're considering apron front sinks. Which one do you like?

also think I'd like painted cabinets, rather than wood. That way I can change the look any time, with just a can of paint. I'm envisioning pale blue cabinets, white wall, and no upper cabinets. Lots of glass, pewter, silver, creamy colors and textures.

What do you like? hugs-Lee

This is What I'm Doing to Avoid Packing

OK- so I should be packing. But, I'm avoiding it right now...

I joined the Joli Paquet goodie bag swap. It will be a good diversion, before I pack up all of my crafting artsy stuff away.

You will create an adult style "Trick or Treat" bag for your partner and then fill that bag with treats. The bag should be a standard tote bag size and you're welcome to either create it from scratch or purchase a tote bag from any craft store and embellish it in the style that will make your partner swoon. Fill it with her favorite candy treats, crafting treats, decorating treats, or anything you think she will adore.

So, I bought a nice canvas bag to start. Then I just raided the local antique store, the local craft store, and am ready to begin! My partner is Kath of Out on a Whim Studio. She has some very cool, right-up-my-alley items in her etsy store. Go check her out!!

Now, off to tea stain!

Hugs- Lee