Speaking of History

This TV show on Netflix is fantastic. I am in complete love and I'm only on episode four. The show highlights the culture of the Titanic era. It begins with the death of two family members on the Titanic, which changes the fortune of the family. The acting is amazing. It is so subtle that on many occasions, I feel the characters are real instead of actors, which is quite a feat.

Seriously, if you like period dramas, you must watch Downton Abbey

Full Circle

Sometimes my life takes an unexpected turn and then here I am again in the same place having come full circle.

I am loving the film Titanic again, which is no surprise to those who know me because Titanic will always be buried deep inside my heart to come out every now and then. It's funny it would happen now, but I think some of it has to do with the weather.

For me Spring and Summer just smells like the ships I love. This is probably because when I was younger I used to study and write about them from the park outside my house during these times. I love to read and study about these ships, so don't be surprised if someday soon you see more and more facts popping up about my favorite ships, the Titanic and the Lusitania.

The other day I was asked why I am fascinated by these ships. I couldn't come up with a good answer. Is it the tragedy of it all? Maybe.

Is it the beauty of the ships? Definitely.

Is it the time period? For sure.

There is something so artistic and beautiful about the ships and something so poetic and terrible about each demise. The end of an era was the Titanic and the murder of innocents for one of the first times in war history was the Lusitania.

Anyway, I'll explore these and many other ideas with you through this little blog soon.

96 years ago

Jealous of a Third World Country

Yes, I am. I miss it. I miss you, Paraguay. More specifically, I miss my friends there. It makes me sad that it may be a long while before I see them again. One of the sisters from my mission is headed there shortly and I'm preparing a little package to send to my dearest family there. Here are some pictures.

My first ever D.I. project

Jeff and my two very talented sisters-in-law are often finding great projects at thrift stores, and while I've always admired their talent, I never thought I would be able to do it myself.

Well... I did it. Finally. My first ever completed D.I. project. You heard me--completed. I've certainly started a lot, but never followed through. This is a huge step for me. (okay, there are a couple minor things to finish, but very minor.)

Just look at the before...

and after an entire day of sanding and painting...

followed by another day of painting...

and another day of completely reupholstering the cushion (I had to create my own. The previous cushion was hashed. Jeff thinks this came from the Civil War era.)

And the final product...

So there you have it. If you have any reupholstering (or creating your own cushion) questions, send them my way because after one chair, I'm pretty sure I'm an expert.

A big thank you to Jeff who taught me many of the ins and outs of reupholstery. To see some of his work, go to his blog. (He's the real expert.)

Excuse the ellipses. If one of my students used that many, I would have a fit, but, hey, this is an unveiling after all.

driving home

My hometown.

It isn't much.

In fact, there are times when I can't wait to leave.

I'm excited to see new sights, and perhaps live near an Ikea and have more restaurant choices

someday,

but nothing beats a sunset here

or the smell of the harvest

or the dripping of melting snow...

I'm still waiting for that.

I am completely inspired.

This is incredible.