We’ve been on lockdown here in Southern California for some time. As I mentioned previously, I haven’t been feeling particularly creative. That hasn’t changed. But it’s time to put that mood aside and do a new blog—FINALLY!
What to write about? We’ve hardly been anywhere although we do see family and we had almost normal holiday celebrations. Perhaps it’s a good idea to dwell on thankfulness and beauty, topics sure to pull us out of the doldrums.
This is my goal—to find something lovely in every day for a week. Here goes:
Day One
I’ve been collecting Hull pottery for several years, just a piece here and there, wherever I can find one. I have been trying to support small businesses as much as possible and what could be a better place to shop than an antique mall? On a recent shopping excursion, I found this almost pristine piece; there’s just a bit of crazing in the glaze on one side. Some of my pieces are chipped and seriously crazed, but I love them just the same.
Day Two
After many years of subjugating my desire for new flooring, we finally went forward with installing vinyl plank on the bottom floor of our house. Our rooms aren’t large; our floorplan is not open. We are actually replacing two kinds of carpet, three kinds of tile and some Pergo, not to mention repairing two holes caused by plumbing problems. This is more of an ordeal than I imagined.
Wood and wood-look flooring throughout is a popular concept, but, walking through the newly-floored house, I was reminded of something from my childhood. That was a time when people were discovering the joys of wall-to-wall carpet, but many homes still had hardwood floors. Our new flooring extends seamlessly from room-to-room, disappears under closet doors and around corners and is actually very old-fashioned. That makes me like it even more! It’s my lovely thing of the day.
Day Three
Okay, this brings a smile to my face. What better way to get ready for Valentine’s Day than with a bunch of See’s candy? The smell alone is divine. When I think of things that are exactly the same as when I was young, See’s comes instantly to mind. It’s a rare and special treat. My, I’m getting awfully nostalgic in my bits of daily loveliness.
Day Four
Well, let’s keep up the Valentine’s theme for one more day. I really liked the pillows I had on the front patio last year but they got a bit sun damaged so I decided to make some new ones out of outdoor fabric. There’s not a lot of festive holiday choices in that type of fabric, so I used some ribbon and lace to doll these up enough to say, “Happy Valentine’s Day!” Now I just need to fish out a couple of red pots from the backyard and the patio will be decorated.
Day Five
In my limited recent ramblings through antique stores, I’ve come to appreciate the artistry of doilies. They really are small works of art. So I’ll share a favorite. I found this one at Barbara Cheatley Antiques in Claremont, about as far from home as I’ve wandered lately. Old linens often have stains but a soak in Biz seems to take care of them. I have a little collection going with a focus on elaborate designs and unusual shapes. They might be going in the cabinet with my Hull pottery. Vintage magazines include directions for all kinds of doilies. I can’t really imagine tackling this time-consuming craft. They help me understand ladies of a bygone era who wished to add a bit of beauty to their home.
Day Six
To me, the colors in a quilt make or break it. I don’t care how well-made a quilt is or how beautifully it’s quilted, if the colors aren’t cohesive, it’s not appealing to me. Although I do often choose my own fabrics, I love pre-cuts because the fabrics obviously go together really well. They make great scrappy quilts. I can choose a pattern and go to town! Here’s a Valentine’s quilt I made from a layer cake I bought at the Road to California quilt show last year. Wow, life was so normal then. It just makes me happy to look at all the pink and blue and red. The fabric is decorated with 50s looking designs.
Day Seven
I had several ideas of what I could do for day seven and then I looked out the kitchen window while I was cooking dinner and saw this:
Somehow the camera didn’t do this sunset justice, but the picture still turned out pretty great.
Well, that’s my week of thanks and beauty and hopefully, my return to blog entries. Have a great Valentine’s Day with ones you love.