Blessing Day 3 - My wonderful son

I am so thankful for my son, Forrest. He is the best part of me. He's funny, smart, caring. I am so lucky to have him in my life. I'm thrilled that he received several job offers and picked the job located in Chicago! In the next couple months he will get an apartment of his own, but be still close by.

Blessing Day 2 - Coffee

I continue my 31 Days of Blessings (in no particular order of importance).

I love my morning latte. My daily schedule allows me to have a wonderful slow, late start to the day. I stay up late and sleep in late. I enjoy my daily coffee. I REALLY enjoy my coffee. I tend to be very grumpy if I don't have it.

31 Days of Blessings

So this is the 3rd year I'm trying to participate in the 31 days of Blogging thought up by the Nester. In the past I've failed to complete it, only making it to day 15 or so. Blogging every day is hard! So for this time I've thought of something easy. 31 Days of Blessings. Now I know that might not be every ones cup of tea. My son rolled his eyes at me as I told him my topic.

But it's really appropriate this year. What I didn't tell you is that my health scare that I've referenced a couple times was really Leukemia. I was diagnosed with Leukemia in January. So yeah, a scary health scare. Luckily its treatable. And was caught early enough to make a difference. I take a pill every day and it stops the damaged chromosome from producing the cancer. It's a little more technical but basically that. The side affects have been wicked. I am just now adjusting to it and starting to feel "normal" again.

My little daily pill (which I will have to take for the rest of my life) costs about $10,000 a month. I didn't type that incorrectly. My insurance pays a  portion of that but its still a huge financial burden. A social worker in the Cancer Center told me about a non-profit foundation that could help me pay for my life saving medication.

So for my first blessing in my 31 day series 2014 is the Healthwell Foundation and my $15,000 grant for my medication. Truly a blessing.

Bummer

Last time I left you I had sold my draper chests and was going to pick up the new dresser / tv stand for the living room. Well, that fell through. The people decided they wanted to sell everything as a set instead of separately. Of course they never called and told me that. I had to call them 4 times prior to the Sunday pickup trying to confirm that we were still on. At the last minute they called back. I had to quickly cancel the van rental and my high school boy helpers to move it into the condo. Bummer #1.

I'm tired that I'm mid decorating in most of my house, AGAIN. How come I keep changing things so radically? I was basically done except for my bedroom. I swear - pinky swear, that this is the last time. When I get a room done I will leave it alone and find something else to spend my time and energy on. Like teaching English as a second language (something I've been wanting to do for a couple years now). or taking a walk, or cooking a good meal. Seriously I spend so much mental time and energy decorating and redecorating spaces but actually accomplishing very little because I can't make up my mind. And really I don't enjoy the process. It's fun to buy new things, but that's about it. So I don't have a decorating problem I have a shopping problem that I then try to make work in my home. (WOW that really caught my attention. Funny what comes out when you sit down to write sometimes). Bummer #2.

A couple more semi-serious health issues have been discovered. Again! How can I be falling apart so much? I'm only 46. I seriously have to focus on being as healthy as I can possible be. Bummer #3.

On a positive note I purchased a couple bundles of dried lavender. The house smells so nice! Lavender is one of my favorite scents. So clean and soothing. If I ever have a yard again I will definitely grow some lavender!

Gone Baby Gone

So this happened

I sold the Dorothy Draper chests. I still really have mixed emotions about it. I loved those chests. I was so excited when I found them. But I wanted something lighter colored but really didn't have the time and energy for a new project to paint them white. And I didn't want to spend the $1000 to re lacquer them. I love the storage they had, and they fit the space nicely. But in the end I sold them for a handsome profit from my $65 Craigs List score (including delivery). 

With the sale I will have enough money to purchase a new dresser (I pick it up Sunday! Fingers crossed its as amazing as its picture since I'm renting a truck and driving an hour to go get it. And its a super bargain), a new loveseat and take care of some necessities like new eye glass.  So yeah, that would have been hard to turn down. 

You also get a sneak peek into other changes going on in the living room. The blue chairs are gone with a pair of pink ones in their place. The chevron rug is gone with a brown/tan hounds-tooth taking its place. That's a cute little needlepoint stool in the center of the picture. 

I finally picked a paint color to paint the living room and dining room. I had 9 different sample colors. I just couldn't find a direction that worked with all the elements. I think over Thanksgiving weekend I'll paint the ceiling and walls. I'll show some pictures after that since it will be a big change and I might have another couple things done also.

But for now I'm really concentrating on my bedroom.That's a whole other post but progress is being made! With the new dresser in place in the living room all the crap that lived in the Dorothy Draper chests will be removed from my bedroom floor and put back where it belongs. Then I can take some progress photos for you. 

Bonus Days

My son graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design at the end of May with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Digital Media. I'm so proud of him. Since then he's been looking for a job in making video game art and working on his portfolio. Luckily his Dad came thru with a substantial graduation gift so there is no urgency in finding work for awhile.

I consider these my bonus days with him. I know the time he will live at home is limited and can end abruptly at any time (when he finds employment) and I'm trying to enjoy every minute of it.

Living Room and Dining Room Drapes

I bought some fabric for new drapes in the living room and dining room. Its a pretty Waverly print from the 1990's. I found it on Etsy and got 12 yards.  I think its perfect for my romantic country / cottage look I'm decorating with now.

Just to get a feel for how they will look I cut the length of them and hung them with the clip rings in the living room. They are pretty. Not as full as I would like, but I don't have enough fabric for double widths. I won't use these as drapes because I don't need privacy but they will just hang as stationary panels.

I'm going to sew them myself so I am thinking just a straight panel lined, no pleats, and gently pleat them with the ring hooks. I'm not sure though. I'm also thinking of putting a ruffled leading edge and bottom of a green check that coordinates well. On the one hand I think ruffled drapes are terribly out of style. However Miles Redd uses them and they seem classic in his interiors. So I might go for it. I'm going for romantic not grandma style!

One last thing. This fabric is a chintz meaning it has a stiff, glossy finish applied. Part of me wants to wash them multiple times so I have a nice soft fabric. But I do like the chintz look, they just don't lay as well for the relaxed style I'm going for. I wish I had some extra fabric so I could experiment a little.

Are you sewing anything new lately? I think chintz is coming back in style. Would you use it?