It's Aint' Over Until the Shabby Old House Sings

I was innocently sitting watching HGTV one day and little did I know that my world was about to change in a very big way. There was a series that came on every day and the hostess was the most interesting lady. Her style, " Shabby Chic," captured what I knew was lurking in my soul, and yet until then I had never let myself express it in my own personal decorating style. Did I dare bring to my nest, roses and ruffles and lace and "WHITE," where baseball gloves and fishing lures and footballs reigned free.
So I became her student of Shabby Chic style, tuning in each day and coming away with ideas of what my beautiful home would one day look like. However, the problem was that we had just built a home and decorated it and I couldn't for all practical reasons change my decor without having my head lopped off by my most wonderful husband. But the Shabby Chic passion seemed to be an incurable one. What was I to do? I found myself finding little shops and antique booths that would scratch my itch for just a bit but it wasn't enough. The passion persisted. I soon rented space in an antique mall and started the hunt for wonderful old furniture that I could transform. I found such satisfaction in seeing the end result and soon I opened a shop which lead to buying trips in our RV which I of course turned into a rolling Shabby Chic haven. Then one day on a buying trip through a sweet old town in Alabama I found her, our sweet Shabby Old House. What if we bought her and made her a Bed and Breakfast. And so started the beginning of our retirement plan. As you can see from the previous post, The Shabby Old House has seen many changes over the course of time, and I owe it all to that fateful day watching a TV show on HGTV and a style called Shabby Chic and now, due to Ms. Ashwell's inspiration,

I will never own a bed without roses and down covering it.

Before my table would have all been surrounded with matchy matchy chairs and dishes had I not discovered the beauty of mismatched items.
And God forbid that my windows be covered with anything but lace having seen the beauty of morning's light through it's beautiful design.

I don't miss details like I use to.

Give me lots of lace and roses and put it all over the house even the throne room.

Find me a beautiful piece of old furniture and I will find a purpose or repurpose for it.

Old mirrors, old lamps and old wicker..my joy.

Mirrors with age and chipped old washing bowls don't bother me now. There is such beauty in their imperfection.

Rose dishes are beautiful anywhere you want to place them.

And holidays aren't holidays unless they are dripping with lace.

And by all means thrill me lots of architectural details.

And who can have enough chandeliers dripping with sparkling crystals.

The old sofa awaits my paint brush of creamy white paint to bring out the details of the carved birds on the wood trim. I may have passed her up in her horrible kelly green cloth had Rachel not caused me to see beyond the ugly to the possibility.

And what can be said about beautiful hard wood floors except cover them with beautiful hooked rugs.

Pocket doors and old hardware.. In fact I look for old doors and hardware now to create things for the shop.

A room comes together and all from great flea market finds. Once my rooms were put together from the showroom floors and most likely my neighbor had the same look.

Old buffets and sideboards painted and distressed just so.

Slipper chairs now come dressed for dinner.

What discoveries I have found of other kindred spirits and their wonderful finds.
I have made so many new friends because of this passion.

I have never had a chandelier in the bathroom before or lace shower curtains.

I became a collector of rose dishes and drank more tea just because!

My holidays are not only filled with special memories and people but beauty!

Old green cabinets became PINK and distressed to see the green.

I began to cover my chairs with "White." ( ruffles are in the making)

Walls were painted to make the creamy white furniture pop.

The ceiling tins were painted with a slight bit of PINK.

And somehow I just don't mind this old kitchen now. She is shabby and old however fresh paint and roses make her blush with new found charm.

Again with the PINK!

Remember how the old bath was yellow and blue before?

Glass knobs and rose dishes...who knew how pretty this old green kitchen could be.

There is still much to do but I imagine there always will be.
But I look forward to finding just the right fabric and lace. The thrill of the hunt keeps me going.
I know it is out there. I found the valances in an antique mall so I must be patient,
for that is the secret to Shabby Chic living.
Beauty is out there.
We just have to go find it!
And it won't be over until the Shabby Old House Sings!

TRUE LABOR OF LOVE

It's good to look back. It makes you appreciate where you have been.
The days were filled with passion and purpose even though they were hard days of blood, sweat and tears.

You learn to really appreciate the strengths of others who worked by your side.
You could see what was not yet there and what others would have walked away from

You remember now with laughter what was one of the worst messes you ever experienced.

You laughed and were disqusted at the same time.

The clean up seemed endless.

You legs ached from being on a ladder all day.

And thinking you had filled the last crack with plaster you discovered yet another one.

You put up with colors even matching them just so they would look a bit cleaner.

You could see pretty even when it was ugly.

And you started collecting lots of rose dishes for that someday that would one day arrive.

And you were wowed and continue to be wowed with the beautiful mantels.

You got excited over pocket doors that got pryed loose.

You couldn't wait for a shower to wash yet another days grime from your body.

You were amazed with your discoveries under the wallpaper.

And thrilled even more to find hardwood floors.

You turned closets into bathrooms.

Anticipated the thrill of what something would look like once painted and

Cleaned up.

Plans got foiled but you pressed on making the best of your contractor's neglect.

Knowing that one day you would look back on your diamond in the rough and

enjoy...enjoy...enjoy...

Seeing your labor of love turn into a home.

The Beauty of Springtime

In my opinion there isn't a season that I enjoy as much as springtime.

It's an unpredictable season. Each day a surprise.

The promise of new life is everywhere you turn.

And there is so much Pink!!!!

pictures by Tina Aycock

Happy Valentine's Day

I am so happy that these two met and fell in Love.

Meet my Grandparents. I adore this picture of them.
They were such a wonderful influence on my life.
After their passing I found an old love letter that my Grandpa had written to my Granny.
He was quite the romantic. They had the lasting kind of love. It was beautiful right up to the end. They gave me the hope that this kind of love exists.

I wish for you this Happy kind of Love.
Happy Valentine's Day.

New Tampa Residents

Baby it's Cold outside!

Happy New Year

May all your Rosey Dreams come true in 2010!

God Bless.

My Christmas Angel's Song

Many of you know that on Feb. 14th of this year I lost my sweet Sister-in-law, Cindi. As I pleaded for prayers for her recovery you all sent up the sweetest harmony of prayers that any blogger could hope for. God had other plans and welcomed her into Heaven where I am sure that she is singing in the most amazing choir this year for Christmas.

I learned so many things from her in the short time that I was blessed to know her. I learned what joy looked like. I called her my Joy Bubble because she was infectious with it and it would rub off on those around her. I learned from her the difference of just being a Christian and being a Christian that is crazy in love with their Savior. She loved her Jesus. Perhaps it flowed from a heart that was so grateful for His forgiving grace for it was something that she clung to with all she had and to her it was a truly, "Amazing Grace," so sweet the sound that when she sang it you knew that she totally understood what that Grace was all about and the price that was paid to receive it.

You couldn't call her a saint. Like most of us there were things in her past that she cried over and wished weren't so. Perhaps that is why when she sang the song Alabaster Box,taking her long dark hair she would act as though she was truly wiping the feet of Jesus with her tears that would be rolling down her cheeks. The congregation would feel her spirit worship the Lord and join in to do the same. You always knew that Cindi wasn't singing to perform but she was truly singing to her Jesus.

I am writing this today because of the most important thing that Cindi's life taught me and that is the need for people to reconcile quickly with each other. Cindi was making plans to see her girls for her birthday which was only a month away from her death. Their relationship had the scars of divorce on it and she would cry to me as she told how much she loved them and was saddened by the past. I pray that they know how much she loved them. She was very proud of them I can assure you that. But what child having lost a parent doesn't just long for one more sweet word ?

Cindi had made a CD a few years ago. I remember the day I got it and the hours I spent listening to her beautiful voice. What you don't know about Cindi is that I would often call her and ask to hear whatever song she was working on for church. She always sang to me and we would have our own little worship service on the phone. She would sing and we would talk for hours about the Lord.

My brother and I listened to that CD as we prepared for her service and he made copies for those who were there. Somehow her daughter Sarah didn't get a copy. As I checked on Sarah over the next few weeks after her mother's passing and she told me that she didn't get a copy I told her I would send her my extra one, but when tearing up the house produced no extra copy, I knew that I would have to part with my original even if I didn't ever find the other one. Her girl needed her momma's voice. Well, that was March and just the other day I found the missing copy. At this point you must think I live in a pig pen but I had stuck it on my cookbook rack and I shouted out a hallelujah to the Lord for the found gift. My sweet Cindi's voice filled my Christmas clad kitchen and goosebumps covered my body as I listened to her sing. It was as though she was there singing to me my favorite Christmas song as she had over the phone lines only this time I felt an urgency to share this story and this song. I hope that you will enjoy our Christmas Angel's Song. The song is called The Angel Song by Chris Eaton and Cindi is singing it. Just click on The Angel Song. And I hope that this year you will give the gift of reconciliation to someone. Don't wait, please don't wait. We just don't know how quickly a life can be gone. Whether it is someone we know or our very own life. But just one more thing before I go. Reconciliation can also be something that you do between yourself and your God. Don't wait on that account either. Today may you experience the peace that comes from those decisions. May you understand the meaning of the Christ Child born to you today. By all means share this message and song if you would like. And a Very Merry Christmas to you, with all my heart!

Oh Christmas Tree...part 2

As promised here is my favorite of all the trees, this amazing Upsidedown Tree.

I don't know how and I don't know what year it will be but the Shabby Old House will definately one day have one of these.

And you all will be the first to know.