For our anniversary in 2011, we spent a weekend in DC and went to a Mexican restaurant at the Washingtonian center in Rockville. There I saw over sized zigzag (or chevron) striped pottery and wanted some of my own. Some were shaped like ginger jars and some were 4 feet tall floor vases. Ever since then I was on the lookout for large vases to spray paint. Nate Berkus came out with some last year for Target but I missed out on them.

So a while ago I found this blue green vase at the thrift shop for around 4 dollars and knew it would be great for my diy project. The color is perfect for Spring so I didn't want to alter that and commit to painting over it but I still had to have my stripes.

The solution was to spray paint Blue painter's tape and use that for the stripes as opposed to painting the vase. I unrolled a few feet of tape and stuck the end to a post on the deck while holding the rest of the roll and spraying what I had unraveled. It took about 15 seconds. By the time I walked back up the stairs to the house, the tape was dry.

I had already used the plain painter's tape to make the design on the vase so I just put the spray painted tape right over it and trimmed where it needed. It looked too thick that way so I took off the tape I used as the guide underneath and put the gold tape back in place. Because it's low tack, it was forgiving and easy to use. It's not perfect but it's temporary and I can add more rows, change the thickness of the tape and its color.

Now I'm on the hunt for more so I can do a grouping and am thinking up ways to use spray painted tape.

And until I find a more suitable place for it, I'll just let it glam up the tv.

Have a great day!

xo

Laura

The Shabby Nest
Liz Marie
Chic on a shoestring decorating
Skip to my Lou
Keeping it simple
Coffee Beans and bobby pins

To float on your river

“I believe in going with the flow. I don't believe in fighting against the flow. You ride on your river and you go with the tides and the flow. But it has to be your river, not someone else's. Everyone has their own river, and you don't need to swim, float, sail on theirs, but you need to be in your own river and you need to go with it." ~C.Joybell C.

As I read this quote I was instantly reminded of those lazy days of summer in my youth where my family or friends and I would grab big inner tubes and head to the Washougal River. It seemed that everyone had inner tubes in their garages, just waiting to be used for summer. I don't even know if they make them anymore.

The river water was icy cold. It took our breath away as we'd jump in. Each of us would hop up on our own tube, with our legs and arms dangling over the rounded sides and let the current take us down the river. Occasionally we would outstretch our arms and hands when another person was floating by. For a minute we'd clasp hands but as one of us was going faster than the other, we'd let go and meet up down stream.

The current was nice; neither too swift nor slow. When the current would die down at one spot we could hop off the inner tube and easily make it to shore. We'd always watch out for each other, though, to make sure no one tired or was left behind so we could start the trek all over again.

So as I read the quote, I could identify with it but I had to add to it. We are each on our own journey and must go with the tides and flow that is life because fighting against the current is tiring and counterproductive, of course. That doesn't mean that you can't or shouldn't fight against something that is harmful or unjust. That would just be wrong. But for the things that are thrown at us, that we really can't control, we do have to do our best, go with it and hope that the waters calm at some point. I believe - no, I know that in those times there are people who will float out to us and outstretch their hand, clasp ours in theirs for a moment and give us strength to continue and make sure we're not left behind. Even when you feel like you are going with it, there will be someone that can relate or at least try to relate and will see what you need even when you can't. It's pretty amazing.

So let them float out to you.




A bridge over the Washougal River
via

Friday Finds - a little kitchen collection under $5

This round up of Friday Finds is all kitchen related. It just so happened that way. I don't usually set out to have a theme but I like it when it all relates anyway.

While I was waiting for one of the kids to come out of a meeting, I went across the street to the Goodwill and found this Orla Kiely canister which now holds my teas. I remember when these came out at Target and wished I had gotten the 3 piece set before they sold out. 97 cents was worth the wait. Even Jon thought it was cool.

Later that day I spotted an estate sale. You should never pass those up. Estate sales are usually way better than yard sales. There were a lot of things there but nothing that was of much interest to me; basically lots of collections of things I don't collect. But I did spy a folded up wooden piece. When I unfolded it, I realized it was a trivet. Love those unusual finds. They sold it to me for $1.00 and they gave Trae a Hershey's keychain. We both came away happy.

A while back as I was walking through my favorite antique mall I found this two-tiered tray and didn't hesitate. A faux bois pattern in matte gold for $3.00?? It was practically shouting my name. I bought some paper doilies and cut them to fit so it stays food-safe because who knows what type of finish is on it. I have to do some baking this weekend so it'll be full of desserts... for a minute or two.

 

 

Have a happy weekend!

xo

Laura

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Shabby Nest

Finding Fabulous

House of Rose



Weekend docu watching

Pretty much every weekend you can find Jon and me watching a documentary or two on the Kindle. While the kids are on the Xbox we're taking a little time browsing categories to see what looks good.

I watched a few by myself this week so I thought I'd share some of my favorites.

If you're missing Downton Abbey, the 2009 docudrama, The Queen, might fill a British void. It shows Queen Elizabeth II at different points in her life which was portrayed by a different actress in each episode. The first one, of course, is a little scandalicious.

source

 

Speaking of Queens, The Queen of Versailles is an American documentary that depicts Jackie and David Siegel, owners of Westgate Resorts, and their family as they build the largest and most expensive single-family home in the United States, The Versailles house. It shows how the recession hit them personally and the crisis they face. It was a Sundance hit in 2012. You can even buy the house here for oh, mere millions.


source

And since I am on some sort of unintended royal theme, you can't forget the American royal family, The Kennedy's. The Lost Kennedy Home Movies tell the story of the children of Joe and Rose, as they grew up in the 1930s and 40s and through the last weekend that John and Jackie spent with their children before the assassination in Dallas. There are behind-the-scenes footage and never-before-seen home movies filmed by Robert and Ethel Kennedy in the early 1950s. I confess I have always been a fan of the Jackie/John F. Kennedy mystique and can't get enough of seeing young Caroline and John.

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The Queen of fashion, Anna Wintour, is the subject of a great 2009 documentary, The September Issue, which chronicles the staff and the Vogue editor-in-chief's work on the then, largest ever issue. She comes across much more subdued than the character that was supposedly modeled after her in The Devil wears Prada. I find her skillfully decisive which is a quality I admire. The Creative director, Grace Coddington, is a genius and I love that she'll go to bat for her vision. The clothes and photographs - oh yeah, love it all.

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Happy viewing!

 

I'll be back for some fun thrift store scores this week and I barely spent anything...

Looking forward - a personal lesson on being comforted

The weekend is always the part of the week where I look forward to a little down time (naturally) but lately the down time is smothered by the frustrations of the week before; just rolling into Saturday and Sunday.

During Sunday School yesterday, my mind was drifitng to warmer locales and faraway places. It wasn't for a lack of good teaching or discussion. Quite the contrary, our teacher is excellent and the discussion was thought provoking. I just wasn't tuning in. Isn't that the way it always is? The messages are always the same; good and uplifting. We just need to be ready to hear. He that hath ears to hear...

So as the discussion went on, I jumped from page to page in the scriptures, not really looking for anything in particular, just randomly turning pages. And then I landed upon John 14:18 and it jumped out at me,     "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." Just like that.

I was thinking how I could really use my mom's comforting wisdom right about then. It's been so long without my confidant. And then the scripture popped up and I thought, 'Dang, the Lord's good. Knowing just what I need at the precise time.'

And with that, the sun peeked out this morning, a reminder that there are warmer days ahead, in all respects.

Have a good Monday.
xo
Laura

My two February babies, Reese and Belen, circa 2002

Photographing love

Jocelyn & Cory| Washington DC LDS Temple

A quick thinking, use-what-you-have craft

Or...Keeping it real, or lack of planning, or whatever you want to call it...

It was the 11th hour and I hadn't gotten Valentines for Reese or Blair's classes. I am a room parent for both grades in two different schools so I was really only thinking about the snacks that day.

So with some leftover gold paper and foam hearts that I used for a church dance last weekend, I made some quick and easy Valentines. When I got to Blair's, I only had 10 foam hearts for 20 kids so what to do?

I cut them in half, each time cutting them a little differently, wrote a saying on the back, "Valentine, half my heart beats for you!" and other sayings that had to do with "Half" a heart and then stuck a Hershey's Bliss candy on the front of each side. Bing.Bam.Boom.

 

 

 

 

 

I told Blair to tell her friends that they should look for the person who matched their half of the heart, like a game. She thought that would be really fun and was hoping they could do it.

When she came home and I asked how her day was, she was beaming. She said they got to match their hearts and then they had to go around the room and share something about their Valentines. They all shared hers and loved having an impromptu game.

You can never go wrong with keeping things simple nor should you ever feel bad for doing so.

P.S. I guess Grant said that he and Blair "have a special friendship" which turned Blair all red in the face. Settle down there, Cowboy...

Have a great day,
xo
Laura






The Shabby Nest