Peaceful Place

It has been a crazy year and my blogging has suffered. In the last year, I've had two books published, co-directed a high school play, redecorated two rooms of my home, and made or altered four prom dresses. Like everyone else, I'm too busy.

Last September I talked about the office makeover my husband and I started and I promised pictures - which I never got around to taking or posting. So here they are for the few people who asked to see the finished project.

I didn't take "before" pictures. I'm new to the redecorating thing, so it didn't occur to me to document the process. I also forget to take pictures of my kids most of the time, so it only makes sense that I would forget a mere room.

So the first picture is approximately the original colour of the room. My name for it was "blah" and I didn't find it inspiring at all. The room was a standard bedroom that held two tables which my husband and I used as desks. A previous owner built in  bunk beds on one wall. The room has always functioned as an office/guest bedroom. I would make the beds with whatever quilts the kids weren't using on their beds and hope the guests didn't think it too odd that the wood on the beds had never been painted or finished in any way.

The whole makeover began when my uncle offered me a desk. It was one of those huge, old, wooden desks that all the teachers had in their classrooms and came with a large piece of glass to cover the top of the desk. The light coloured wood didn't appeal to me, but the size of the desk did and besides that, it had drawers (remember, I was using an old office table.) I decided to paint it white and replace the old gold pulls with new silver ones. Of course once the painting was done, I just couldn't put my shiny new desk in my old blah office. What better colour to show off the white desk than a deep blue? So I picked this colour, then crossed my fingers and held my breath. I've always lived with neutral walls and knew even if I hated it we wouldn't be repainting the room any time soon. We painted the unfinished wood on the bed white to match the desk and found some bright fabric to make into quilts.

The finished room ended up being much darker then I had initially pictured, but once I put everything in place, it was perfect. The blue is calming and shows off the desk and quilts on the bed. It took me quite a while to figure out what I wanted on the walls. I ended up making a wreath out of an old dictionary I picked up at the thrift store. There is also a family tree and some framed prints of Celtic knots and hummingbirds that I love. I've also framed one of my favorite quotes. The room does have a little bit of a split personality. My husband's half of the office still has his old office table for a desk, but we put two narrow white shelves on the wall and put some of his mission memorabilia from Japan. I just need to finish sewing the quilts and put some curtains up.

Here is my little corner of the world.

Guests beds or the perfect place to shut my eyes for fifteen minutes when I just can't keep them open any longer.

So that's it. I don't think I have a talent for decorating or even a real desire to do too much of it, but in the end, I'm pleased with my peaceful corner of the world. Now if I could just figure out what to do with the rest of the house.

Graduation

It hardly seems possible that my daughter is old enough to graduate from high school, but on the 20th I attended her graduation ceremonies and watched her walk across the stage in a cap and gown. The ceremonies we attended were just the formal celebration. She still has several weeks left of school.

My daughter and I spent weeks working on her dress and finding the perfect jewellery and shoes. She had a clear vision in her head of exactly how she wanted to look. There was no talk of sophisticated or glamourous. She just wanted to be modest and look like a princess. She also didn't want to look like the other girls. In the end she loved her dress and still wants to find excuses to wear it. She chose a dark green satin with a black, embroidered organza overlay. That alone made her different, since most of the dresses were brighter colors. The fact that she also chose a modest sleeve also made her stand out.

When I began making the dress, I chose not to take the normal shortcuts I usually take to keep the cost down for clients. The layers of lace and satin in the bodice were hand-basted together. I chose to add an inner layer of flannel to give the bodice some body and also to provide a place to attach the boning so it wouldn't be visible on the finished dress. This layer was also hand basted in. Once we got the bodice just right, the skirt went in easily. There was a crinoline attached to the dress and, just out of curiosity, we measured the length and found that the circumference of the crinoline hem was 500". We could stretch it from one end of the house to the other. The finishing touches were the brooch she found on clearance and the 1,500 Swarovski crystals we attached to the hem. You can't really see them in the picture, but when she moved, the crystals caught the light just right. It was a lot of work, but so worth it. The happiness in her face was the best payment I've ever received for a dress.

When I graduated I wondered why the school held grad so early. As a parent, I see the logic behind the decision. There were dresses and dates to find, hair and nails to be done, and general excitement on top of the many activities the kids planned. I don't think many of the graduates focused on school work the whole week. Now that the fun is all over, they have to buckle down for the real work. Departmentals - a government exam given in each of the core subjects and worth 50% of the final grade - are coming and bringing with them all the stress of studying. I can't imagine how hard the tests would be if the weeks before were taken up with grad preparations.

I'm so proud of my daughter and all she has accomplished. One of the speakers said that graduation is just the beginning, and I can't wait to see what she does with her talents and abilities. She'll definitely go far. At the same time, I am still trying to figure out how she is old enough to graduate. I think we get closer to being the same age all the time.

Catching Up

I haven't been posting much lately, although I've noticed many of the blogs I usually read are having the same problem. The next two weeks are a little crazy and I'm busy just trying to keep track of where everyone needs to be.

This week we have soccer games Monday through Thursday - with two tomorrow night, here are two highland dance recitals for my oldest daughter and one rehearsal. We also have to plan and organize a barbecue for my step-son, his fiance, and the bridal party for Sunday night. And then this morning I remembered that I need to make the garter for the bride. She couldn't find anything she liked because everything was too frilly. She'd requested a particular color of blue, so I hope I can find the right fabric. (At least the quilt is finished and has been for a while.)Next week, we have soccer games every night, but two ballet recitals for my youngest daughter and the rehearsals for those. On Thursday we have a recital at 6:00 then we run next door at 7:30 for the high school band concert. And Saturday we are looking forward to my step-son's wedding.

My calendar is full, so my brain is busy trying to keep everyone organized so they all end up in the right places at the right time.

Meanwhile, the writing is going very slowly. I have added another couple chapters to my work in progress and today I received a rejection from Covenant. I wasn't too surprised, since it was my first novel submission, but with the lack of time to work lately, I did spend a few hours questioning whether I really am a writer. I think this could be a normal reaction. To boost my confidence I sat down tonight and made a list of things I have published. It is short, but at least I can say I have been published. I stuck it in my rejection folder so the next time I pull it out to add a rejection, the first thing I see will be that positive list.

As I read through my rejections and publications,I thought about the novel that was just rejected and the novel I'm working on, began to wonder what it is I actually write. So many of my friends are solidly in the young adult/fantasy camp. Others only write romances. Then there are those that stick solidly with non-fiction. I've written a little bit of everything. My ideas don't run in any particular direction, so I just go with what I have.

Right now I am working on a romantic/suspense, a children's picture book, a cozy mystery, and one that I'm not sure how to classify. I don't know if the variety will help me find success sooner or if I need to narrow down the field a little. Until I figure it out, I keep writing one word at a time. It's the only way I know how.

What My Day Looks Like...

Pictures to go with yesterday's post. A view down my street this morning. Somewhere under all that snow are my daffodils...
My driveway - love the snow hanging off the roof...
In the backyard, the robins are taking shelter on the lilac bush. It's hard to see them, but there are about 12 on the tree in the picture. Click on the picture for a better view...
Despite all the cold, January-like weather, the frost on the front door is beautiful and so is all the snow.