Nurturance, An Important Piece To Creativity

Six months ago I started working part-time at Mental Health Facility for young children.  I teach in therapeutic preschool group.  We help children with behavioral issues.  A child may have Autism, ADD, or have experienced trauma.  There are challenging days, but I have to say for the most of the
time it's so rewarding to see preschoolers improve and become self confident.  One of things I have noticed is how much nurturance can play a big part in a child's progress. 

nurturance

1. :  affectionate care and attention

I've had this little sign for years.  I've always loved it.  It has reminded me of young children, and how they are tender little plants that need our affection and care.  It seems simple doesn't it?  Sometimes in life it not so simple.   


I realize I don't have to be young to need nurturance in my life.  I have a chronic negative Nelly in my head.  The things I say about myself I would never ever say to someone else.  I don't need anyone to beat me up, I do a good job all on my own.  I need to evict Nelly, she has had to much of my brain space.

Attending my e-course Hello Soul, Hello Mantra by Kelly Rae Roberts has been life changing and I'm not even to the art part!  I've been writing in my my journal most days which my heart loves.  I am tapping into who I am and who I want to be. 

I need to nurture myself.  To love one's self I've always felt it was conceited.  It's always been easier to love other's than myself.  There's Nelly in my head, whoa Nelly! Loving myself is actually where I can be broken opened. Like a little baby chick hatching out of it's shell one Spring morning.  It's where I allow myself to open those tattered wings and fly free. I refuse to be critical of myself anymore.  

This hangs in my entryway.  Sweet Love. I made this about a year ago.  I thought I would change out the saying on the heart chalkboard.  I haven't.  I was inspired to put this in my home because that is what I desire for my hubby and son.     Sweet love is for me, my soul too.  I can give more when I love myself.  Nurturing is must if I desire to be vulnerable.  Being kind and gentle with my soul builds a place in my heart that I can create.  Where I can fly free with grace and love.

Be Your Own Kind Of Beautiful, 

Debbi 

     

      

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A Sacred Baby Coat

Throw back Thursday I thought it would be fun to share my vintage pink fluffy coat that I had as a 2 year old.  My mother saved everything from my childhood.  Well almost everything.  She has passed on a lot of my baby clothes.  This is one of my favorites.  

 

 I love that the quilted liner and sweet label.  Trundle Bundle what a darling name for a children's clothing company.

The shiny buttons.  

 

The charming collar.

This beauty is 46 years old.  I'm so glad my mother saved it.  Maybe someday I'll have a grand daughter that will wear it.  There is something sacred about holding something that you wore as a baby.  I once was  a little child adored and cherished.  Just like I felt when my baby boy was little.  And yes, I have saved a few things of my son's to pass down to his children.  Years from now...

It's how God feels about us everyday.  I needed a reminder today that I'm and cherished and adored by my Father in Heaven. 

Debbi

Happy Fall Simple Wreath

Fall is my favorite season.  I was born in October.  I held my beautiful son for the first time in October.  After 11 years of  infertility and 2 year wait to adopt.  It was a long journey but it was the sweetest experience to meet our son, Grady and welcome him into our little family.  Words can't express what a joy he is in our lives.  People often ask "Don't you think he needs a sibling?".  My response is "It's better to have one than none."

Okay, I digress!  I love to create, paint, and craft.  I have given up on perfection.  I don't want a perfect wreath, the perfect life, or perfectly painted piece of furniture.  Being perfect is so overrated and exhausting.  I find creating makes my soul happy.  I like being imperfect.  I like the look of handmade.  I like simple projects.  I didn't want to spend any money on this.  I used what I had in my craft room.  

I took 2 yards of fabric and  cut them in 2" x 12" strips. I choose a orange polka dot fabric.   I used a flat metal wreath that you can find at at a craft store.  I tied each strip around the wreath and double tied it.  It took about 2.5 hours to wrap the wreath.  I didn't watch TV one night.

I then made a large bow out of Chevron Burlap. I hot glued it to the wreath. 

 I dug through my scrapbook stuff and found the buttons and sticker letters.   I love the whimsical look of the wreath.

 Navy Blue Door with the Orange Wreath looks great.  This wreath will last through Thanksgiving. 

Happy Fall Y'all! 

Debbi

  

How I Dyed My $25 Thrift Store Couch

I bought this hide-a-bed couch for my son's room.  We've been updating his room to a young man's hang out.  I had been seeing on Pinterest an easy way to dye furniture with a spray bottle.  I thought it made sense and looked simple.

I found the couch at a local thrift store.  I left it outside in the heat of  Utah and covered it in plastic for about two weeks.  I wanted to make sure no bed bugs or other critters were in the couch.  I didn't need any surprises!!  I then mixed up the RIT Dye in Aqua with hot water. I found the RIT Dye at Walmart in the Laundry isle for $3.00.   I started spraying it.  It only lightly colored the couch.  I was looking for bright color. 

 

I finally took the head of the spray bottle and put in up to the fabric and started saturating it.  2.5 hours later.  I still wasn't done.  It needed to be darker. I thought my hand was going to fall of from pumping so much.  I hand to do something else I didn't want to be out here for two more hours.

I made a large 32 oz tub (butter tub) of double strength solution of dye and hot water.  I got a old paint brush and went to town.  I did 2 more coats. I recommend painting the couch.  It was so much faster and easier.

 I removed the skit around the couch.  It looked a little more Mad Man-ish.  I let dry out in heat for 4 days.  I wanted the heat set it.  After that we used Scotch Gard.

 I need to repair the small tear on the edge of arm.  The hubs is going to add dark wood trim around the bottom of the couch.  It will look more manly.  I probably could have done one more coat.  After it dried there wear a few lighter areas.  Overall it's a big improvement to the light green couch. 

Grady doesn't have a large room.  He wanted that way.  So we had to get creative.  The hubs built him a raised platform pallet bed so he could have room for a couch.  That was Grady's idea.  I will reveal his bed next week.

All that matters is Grady loves it!!  Stay tune to Pallet bunk bed and reclaimed wood closet wall.

Happy Creating,

Debbi

How to Spray Paint a Front Door

Happy Fall Y'all.  I love Fall.  The cool mornings, crunchy leaves, and homemade chicken noodle soup.  I wanted to redo my front door.  I was tired of the cream.  I wanted a deep rich color so when I put a wreath on it it would pop.   

I'm a simple gal.  I like projects to be simple but creative.  I started with our front door it has been cream for 13 years.  My door had so many scratches and ding from unloading and loading furniture. 

I choose to us Valspar Premium Finish with Micromist. I would get a even coat that would be smooth.  I wanted  Navy Blue.  Well, I was wrong!!

This is 2 1/2 coats.  The Micromist technology made the spray can narrow and not even.  I've used spray paint for years on different projects.  I was stunned when the door came out looking like this!  The blue was a little off too.  I wanted deeper blue that wasn't bright.  It was awful.  Grady, (my son) said it looks like graffiti.  I agreed.  I couldn't live with that!

We made another trip to Lowe's and they refunded our money.  We were going to try a different brand of paint but couldn't find a navy blue.  Valspar Outdoor was the only one with Navy Blue.  I needed a front door before sundown.  No, I wasn't stressing out!  HaHa!

There is a little bit of streaking.  I had to leave the glass door open because of the glare.  It looks better.  I can live with it.  I love the color.  Coming soon a simple Fall Wreath

Debbi

Fighting An Invisible Battle

It's been a while since I've last written.  I can't apologize because I'm doing my best.  You see I'm fighting a battle that most of the people around me can't see.  Oh, I know it's real because the person I use to be had boundless energy.  I always a had cheerfulness and excitement about life.  Now a good day is getting out of bed and being upright.  I've mentioned this before here that I suffer with Fibromyalgia.  When I was diagnosed 8 years ago I couldn't even pronounce it.    

For the last 10 years it a battle to get out of bed.  It's a battle to move freely.  It's a battle to be productive.  After 2 days of Vintage Markets this weekend.  I couldn't move.  The fatigue is so severe.  My eyes burn and my eyelids just I can't keep open.  The fatigue hurts.  Feeling the weakness through out my body.  Standing up makes me dizzy and off balance.

Yesterday after 5 days of not showering, I finally showered.  I had to hold on to the wall.  I felt like I was going to fall.  It scared me.  I hung on for dear life.  As soon my shower was complete I got dressed and went back to bed and slept.  The fatigue is like jet lag but by 10 times.  This is not tired this is bone chilling fatigue.  My arms and legs don't work right.  It's feels like your moving in slow motion.  Think of a rerun of the Million Dollar Man and they show him punching his enemy.  My reaction time is off.  This is no movie here but my whole body feels like I'm walking through a thick wall of molasses.  My thoughts are not clear, my body fails me.

The physical pain is unreal.  I ache from head to toe.  The muscles are like a rubber band being pulled to tight almost to the verge of breaking.  My muscles around my fingers, toes, shoulders, legs, hips, elbows, neck, back, just ache for no good reason.  Picture a chicken wing that you pull back the meat to get every piece of it.  That's how my muscles feel around my bones like some thing is trying to pull back the muscles around my bones.

The joints ache and burn.  Some days it feel like a bonfire in my joints.  Hot sweltering heat in my  knees, tail bone, elbows, hips, ankles, fingers.  Where the muscles and joints meet is so tender and sore.

The shooting lighting pain that I have especially in my feet.  It feels like some has a Voo Doo doll that's stabbing me for fun.  Sharp pains that come out of no where.  I also get these shooting pains in my legs, arms, and chest.  Some days I feel pinching pain.  Pinching me so hard I want to cry.

I suffer from short term memory loss.  I can't remember what happen a day or week ago.  I don't know faces of my customers.  I'll be at vintage market and I should remember a lot of my customers I don't.  I try to go back in my mind and try to find a connection and I know there trying to connect with me and I can not remember no matter how hard I try.  I don't remember things my son has done, or his friends or parents of friends.  This is so frustrating.  I use to have a member like a trap door.  I could remember friends and families birthdays, wedding, anniversaries.  I try to remember but it's like staring at a blank book.  Those memories are gone and I can't get them back.  I feel like an idiot at times.

Cognitive I forget how to spell.  I'll be typing and I'll see a word in my head like brave and I'll type Bruce?  I really thought I was typing the right word.  I've never been a terrific spelling but now I can't remember how to spell.  A simple word I won't be able to formulate the letters in my mind to spell it.

This is the invisible battle I've been fighting for years.  When you see me in public you wouldn't know I was fighting this battle.  Yes, and I do mean fight!  I have to battle my body everyday.  I won't stop fighting either.  I'll put up my dukes.  I'll swear if I have too.  There will be days the Fibro wins, but not everyday.

You see I live everyday tattered and worn. I see an old used up piece of furniture and I see me.  Worn down, drawers don't slide, and useless.  I see what they can become there potential. It's is like a diamond in the rough.  A bit of sanding, some paint, new hardware, and so on. 

You may ask doesn't this take you longer?  Why do it?  It's too much work?  Yes, it takes me longer and I have to rely on my hubby to help out with a lot of it.  Yes, it is work.  No, I can turn around 3 pieces a day.  As I work on these pieces I'm healing my soul.  No, it doesn't take my Fibro away.  Being able to create gives me hope for a better day.  I see that I am valuable.  The way I survive this is my putting a little piece of me in to every piece.  That is what keeps me going every day.

As I've talked about seeing each piece of vintage furniture as tattered and torn like me I also see God doing the same in me.  He take me as I'm.  He breathes new life in me.  Just like I do to my work.

This is how I battle everyday but I won't stop fighting.

                                              Debbi
                                       Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful