Happy Friday:

Hello friends:


Cleaning continues, "Irene" really hit us hard, between lights, and trees down, everything takes a lot of time.  I don't know if any of you have been without lights for a long time, but not even "football" games can calm the anxiety of my neighbors.
Foxboro, Ma. (this is the town where the Patriots and Giants played last night)  the entire town is without power, water, since Irene landed here.  However, the stadium has lights because they get it from other places.  You can imagine the frustration of the residents.
I went to a little farm market yesterday in a neighboring town, and they didn't have power.  Most of the vendors were from the Cape Cod area.
We are very lucky to have the lights back, but you can't help to feel bad when 10 minutes from my house they don't have lights.


Priorities change after an experience light "Irene".


I hope you forgive me for writing so much about these issue, but I'm reminded everyday of this horrible Sunday.  I remembered watching a tree swinging back and forth on the side of the house, and waiting when it would land on the house, well it didn't but oh boy we were very very scared.


Thank the good Lord, we are safe here, but everything in my town changed, so many many beautiful trees are down, and they are beginning chopping and cleaning today.  Here are some pictures:




















In the middle of all of these, I worked hard on my wreaths for the wedding, they are all done and ready to go, I'm taking pictures today, and I will post them tomorrow.  I'm sending the bride extra rolls in case some of them become loose, She wanted gray ribbon, and they look beautiful.


I am now working on another request is my famous "roses" wreath, they are a bit harder to make, but they are worth it.  I'm also working on the small music ones for another very lucky bride.


I promise happy pictures tomorrow,


martha

IRENE in the East Coast

Hello friends:


Irene was here and we just got power, all day without power, watching the rain and the wind destroy trees for eigth hours. My first experience with this type of storm oh oh oh!!! Here are some pictures, lots of wind, and big big waves.  I hope everyone in blog land is okay.  We are just waiting until the high tide, and hopefully the end of the storm.
Pictures from  our town photographers. 


My family in Ct didn't have power all day, and it is now 8:30 PM. and they don't have their power back. They have a lot of can goods, water, and batteries, but I feel awful for them, they are 79 years old.


I pray for all of you who faced Irene today, a horrible storm.


I promise a fun post tomorrow, we need to eat and go to bed.


blessings


martha  

Wedding Bells

Hello friends:


My first wedding!!! I'm so excited, a customer wants my wreaths for her wedding, I'm very happy she liked them so much.  I'm busy making them, here is the picture.

I love this wreath, its delicate but I love it, I have two in my home. Very impressive!!! and for a wedding I'm making them out on an old Shakespeare book, trust me the book is very fragile and shabby, but the love script is so romantic.



Blessings,

martha

MY Chalkpaint projects and " the earthquake" in the East Coast

I replanted a few of my favorite plants into old silver plate containers.

I potted a few into my blue Atlas jars.

An old pitcher, and a sugar bowl from the "Good Will" store

It looks pretty inside the silver plate tray

I didn't get to complete the antique door due to the "earthquake"
in the East Coast.  Everyone was afraid in Boston, everyone is fine, just a bit afraid due to the fact that they are rare around here.
I was near the ocean, but the cell phones didn't work for a while, but we didn't feel anything. I hope that all my readers and followers from Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, and Canada are fine. We just never know when something like this is coming, this one was a real surprise around the entire East Coast.I pray that you are all okay. 


Back to the "magic paint"

I found this on an Architectural Digest magazine, the blue is very similar to my door. I thought it is very nice against the black and white .


After the "earthquake" news, we all stocked up with water and supplies in case things happened again.  I did a little decorating, just to re-group, I call it "decor therapy" , I got this idea a while back, I can't remember if it was a magazine or a blog or somewhere, here is my version.

Sorry about the upside down post, blame it on the horrible "earthquake" affecting our area.  It did make us a bit nervous, a lot of people didn't think it was an earthquake, if you are on the 15th. floor or on a train getting home, you don't know what is going on, unfortunately in this time we all think its the worst. My family is okay, but I hope we have a little warning next time. I heard about it from someone who was standing next to me in line, they were on their iphone. We all headed home and fast.

Blessings to all of you,

martha

LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES....

Mom always said "learn from your mistakes..."
she was right.  I painted an old old door today with a new color (for Me)  Ambussen Blue, from
Annie Sloan chalkpaint.  This paint is magical.
I opened the can and I stirred it a lot, then I tried a little bit on the door, just to see the color, a bit darker than I thought, but I'm sure I can fix that, I don't know??

the deep blue

testing the color on my door.

painting...

painting with a little roller, I love it fast and easy, the paint covers immediately, love that!!!!!

The pictures at the beginning of the post are the hardware, all rustic and I cann't even open it, but I like the old rusty look, 

WELL IT TOOK ME A HALF HOUR, and its now all dry, ready for a second coat, waxing, distressing etc.

Since this is for my house, I'm going to distress A LOT I think.

The title of this post is "learn from my mistakes"  Since you know I'm learning to paint from watching and reading the PAINT GURUS in blogland, I thought you could all learn from the mistakes I'm making.

I didn't wear the gloves because I wanted to take the pictures and then I didn't want my hands dirty.

BACK TO PAINTING, I'm doing a little bench, and a chair in another color.

Today is a beautiful almost autumn like weather, so I got so inspired  to DYI paint, outside and in my enclosed porch.  Finally a good painting day.  

I would like to ask about the hardware in my door:  SHOULD I PAINT IT?  OR LEAVE IT AS IT IS????

TELL ME WHAT DO YOU THINK, THE KNOB IS AN OLD PORCELAIN KNOB, THE HINGES ARE THE ORIGINALS??? PAINT   YES?    NO??

Enjoy Monday,

martha