Finding Balance

It's difficult to achieve balance in my life - there is so much I want to do - but lately, I feel like I might have it right.

I spend a little time each day keeping up with the house

and working in the garden -

today the garden was full of little cabbage white butterflies.

I've been going through my stash of linens

keeping only those that I really love

and updating the look in the hallway.

I am doing a little sewing each night as I work on long forgotten projects - the tea towel and pot holders have been sitting in a cabinet for more than a year.

Yesterday I made 3 pillows - all started over a year ago when my sewing machine died.

But as of last week, I have a new sewing machine and I am loving it.

This baby quilt was delivered today - I met the mama-to-be when she was an infant.

Walks on the beach

are mixed with projects like the cottage sign I just painted

and setting the table for Steve's fabulous creations - last night it was a delicious fish soup with lobster.

We usually take one long drive each week - this is the view at Firestone Vineyards in Los Olivos.

We ride our bikes a lot and take a 20 mile every week that usually leads us to another beach in our area.

I take a Zumba class 3 times a week - you will never, ever, see a pic of me dancing!

And, I find some time each day to take 1 photo to post on Instagram.

How do you achieve balance in your life?

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I'm sharing with

Poofing the Pillows Thoughts of Home Thursday

Have a Daily Cup - Share Your Cup 

Ain't it funny . . .

I was sewing last night, thinking about how long it has been since I have written a post and noticing how time slips away.

It's been one of those weeks where I have only done little things 

like slapping a coat of green paint on an old window frame

 and adding greenery to a wire wreath.

I'm still organizing the house after having 3 rooms painted

and hung my favorite hand on the wall - IG friends were unanimous that I should keep the hand at an angle.

 A year ago I took a felting class and made the little black cat

 and the other night I got out the felting supplies to try my hand at mice - hey, it's a first attempt!

I used some old book pages and my metal stencils

to create a B O O banner

and took apart three necklaces

to create a rustic garland

to embellish the Halloween display in the guest room.

My favorite addition to the decor is a 1944 edition of the Tales of Edgar Allan Poe that I found in the attic.

I also found my little hedgehog in the attic

and added him to a bouquet of tulips in the entry.

and there's that wreath all finished.

Time has gotten away with me again this morning

 and Steve & Lulu are telling me that it's time to get outside and enjoy the gorgeous fall day.

Breaking the rules . . .

I have been purging for months, am not even close to being finished and have made a vow to not add to my "stuff" until I am done purging.

But, if I can't get an item out of my head, I usually give in and break my own rules.

I saw these striped table runners a few months ago and couldn't forget them so last week I headed to the shop to buy one.

At the last minute, I thought about how Steve tends to spill red wine on everything I put on the table and sometimes candles melt onto a runner, so I left the striped runners in the shop and went home to make my own version.

Quickly painted stripes transform a remnant of drop cloth into a runner that looks nice on the table, but I will not be upset if wine and wax drop onto it.

In my purging, I came across a bunch of wooden bead necklaces and bracelets that are no longer worn, but I just didn't want to toss them out.

So, the beads have been restrung and I am probably going into bead overkill in my vignettes, but I don't care.

I like the colors in this cloth bead necklace my sister bought me in Prague a few years ago.

The centerpiece on the dining room table is perked up with beads from 3 different bracelets -

red, black and gold wooden beads work beautifully with a bag of gourds I bought at the grocery store.

What I didn't mention when I showed great restraint in not buying the table runners was this metal basket that refused to be left at the shop.

Actually, it was a "think about it" purchase and I waited a whole week before heading back to the shop .

Right now, it's holding hydrangeas, but I can't wait to see it filled with Christmas ornaments in December.

I really didn't need the metal basket, but sometimes rules need to be broken.