My weekend: one santa, a few baubles and a lot of glitter

 

 

 

A visit to Santa, a cup of  hot cocoa, a great movie- “The Holiday”, a warm fire and the last of the Christmas baubles scattered about; is a recap of my weekend. Christmas time is the perfect excuse for me to play with things that glitter and sparkle. I never have a set plan or specific theme. My decor consists of me and the things that I love spread throughout the house. 

 

A mix of nature and shiny man-made things adds a little rustic elegance in the corner of my great room. Throw in a dozen or so Santa’s, a table top tree in pink, a snow man here and there  and then top it all off with sparkles and it’s perfect, eclectic yes, but still perfect. 

 

My shopping is almost done or at least it should be. I keep adding to the list as I see things that would be perfect for so and so. That girl who loves to shop keeps buying even after her budget and the budget master says stop! 

 

Okay the little gnome boy holding up a shroom is actually a vintage decoration from my childhood- love him.  I couldn’t resist popping it into the picture-too cute!  The beautiful journal and fabulous bags are from TJ Maxx, so they were a bargain, at least that’s what I told the budget master. The Llama is a little stuffed toy to go along with the book Llama, Llama in Pajamas- love that. One of my favorite gifts to give is a children’s book with the coordinating character; it makes reading to the little ones a lot more fun. 

So that’s a little about me and a highlight of my weekend. Now it’s your turn to share….. 

xo-jj 

Unremarkably perfect

The day floated by without making a sound, it was perfect and yet totally unremarkable. A soft 60 degrees with a gentle sun over head. The optimal weekend to finish outdoor chores or take a long walk. It was an appropriate way to say goodbye to fall. An old sweatshirt, soft and faded, loose-fitting jeans with a hole in the knee- my favorite pair, and flip flops, that were off by mid-afternoon- bare feet. You heard it right- bare feet in November!

 Last night I enjoyed a blissful night of sleep with my window cracked open just enough to allow a lingering smell of burning leaves through the crack.  I awoke this morning to temperatures in the fifties. I felt a bit like Dorothy in the wizard of Oz when she found that her house had been planted in a different place- this can’t be Michigan- it’s mid-november and weather like this almost never happens this time of year. I loved every degree of it! I hope you enjoyed a little weekend bliss, as well… Happy Monday!

xo-jj

Longevity I’ll drink to that

 (Borrowed this image from google)

Goji berries- mircle food or just the latest hype in the promise for longevity? I’m a big fan of the Dr. Oz fan show and his book. Yesterday he was suggesting a new recipe or longevity shake, I don’t think drinking a daily longevity shake is  the secret to long life but I am tempted to try it. I found the recipe on the DrOz sight. Has anyone out there ever tried goji berries or know what MACA powder is? I think I need an educational trip through the health food store. If I mange to find the ingredients I’ll let you know how it tastes. I may just opt for a good ole blueberry shake for breakfast instead. Have a healthy weekend.

xo-jj

The big guy was right

 

I’m back back from a crazy busy weekend. It was fun but I feel about like the image above not fully a wake and a bit wavy. I told you Mr. Java had a garage full of fireworks he got on a business deal didn’t I? Well, we had a busy weekend of shooting them off at parties and saying ahhhh, or whatever it is that comes out when spectacular colors light up the sky. The Saturday night show over the lake was the best! It was a good weekend of good company and busy stuff going on every second. A little parade watching, a lot of fireworks and oh yeah, a tree full of kittens. What?

 

I got up very early Saturday morning to head for the lake. When I staggered into the bathroom I looked out the south bound window as I often do and couldn’t believe what I saw. The huge 30 foot tall pine tree outside my window was full of little fury creatures. I rubbed my eyes and looked several times before running outside.  I counted at least three but heard more underneath. I went in to drag Mr. Java out of bed so he could witness what I was seeing because I was sure it must be a dream. Of course I fetched my camera but couldn’t capture much as soon as they saw the big guy they scattered down the tree  and off  through the tall weeds. Remember the big guy telling me not to feed the cats because we we’re in danger of becoming the cat house? Ooopps! He was right. Don’t tell him I said that because he always thinks he’s right. (my boys are now calling me the cat lady) I thought the wild cat I’ve been feeding was pregnant. I didn’t realize she already had kittens. No matter, I have homes for them already. See everyone worries for nothing. I would guess they’re about 4 to 6 weeks old so my mission this week is too catch them. Sounds easy enough but it’s not. They live somewhere in the brambles to the south of our house. The weeds are over my head and there is a huge pile of old trees and brush from the clearing of the neighborhood that the now bankrupted developer never cleared away. It’s like a jungle and the vampire mosquitoes can drain your blood in about 60 seconds. It takes a while to recover from blood loss and disorientation after an adventure into the thicket. Now if my Grandpa was still around he would know just how to find them. He used to say I need you to do some kitten hunting, they’re somewhere near the barn. He always knew right where they were but pretended he didn’t so I could find them. Maybe he was trying to keep me out of his hair, what little he had. Wish me luck with the hunt.

On to other news: the princess has lost or hidden several things of mine, so I will be cleaning and scavenger hunting all day. I can’t wait until she speaks English, so she can tell me where she’s hidden them. She says a few words but most of her jibberish is her own language, something we call Araglish, a combo of English and Arabic.

Well, I have a lot of catching up to do so I will leave you with a little ohhhh….

 And a lot of ahhhh… to get your Monday started.

 

Does anybody love Mondays?

xo-jj

Chippy paint and hidden secrets

I love the look and feel of an old door with it’s chippy paint and smooth wood that’s been worn to  perfection. Every door has a secret to tell and it’s this secret that begs for a  peek just beyond the weathered handle. I can’t resist the temptation of a door that has been left open just a crack. That calling from a special place promises to lead to another world, far too magical to ignore. A steady hand and a watchful eye make way into another time and place. The feet follow as the mind is lost in the secret that lies just beyond the door.

I had to let you peek at the old doors that inspired me to spend hours behind the lens this weekend. The lusty colors took my breathe away and the lovely patina sent my hair into the perfect curl.

There’s something magical about an old door. It begs to be opened and plays with the mind.

I felt like a little girl caught up in a fairy tale. I blame it on my childhood book “The Lion the witch and the wardrobe” but maybe it’s just me.

This door has withstood centuries and traveled across an ocean. Who knows what secrets are held behind that beautiful patina.

This image will be listed as part of my found words series on etsy sometime this week. The studio will feature a few images along with the following  original words.

Every door holds a secret

The calling

 The temptation

The peek at life just beyond the door

Another world

A quiet muse

A magical place

A curious hand and wandering eye begs the feet to step beyond

Be wary

And mindful

 Or you’ll be lost in the secret that lies just beyond the crepit door

 

You never know what kind of magic is waiting for you just beyond the door.

 

What kinds of things peek your curiosity or tempt you to go beyond? Perhaps it’s a glowing light in the window as you pass by that begs you to look or the magic of an intricate box tucked away in storage that must be opened. Tell me what sends your hair in the perfect curl.

I’m dying to hear so talk to me….

xo-jj