Useful . . . Beautiful . . . Meaningful

As I was dusting yesterday (not fun, but necessary) I thought about the title of the book, The Way We Live With The Things We Love.

I remembered a quote by William Morris

and began looking around my house to see if I am following Morris' advice.

My baskets are beautiful - at least I think so.

And, the baskets are holding books which are both beautiful and useful.

My pitcher collection is definitely useful.

As I continued through the house, I decided that I would add one more possibility to William Morris' quote - Meaningful.

The spatterware pitcher and Manhattan plate are both beautiful and can be useful, 

but more important to me are the memories they evoke.

Beautiful, of no real use, but very special is this shell from the Indian Ocean.

When we downsized to our little cottage, I gave most of my family pieces to my sister, but these 3 items made the cut.

Another favorite piece is my mother's cedar chest which I painted white last year.

When I received these candlesticks, my friend apologized that they were used, but said she thought they would be perfect in our apartment.

This is one of my favorite pitchers and for years it sat on a shelf, but I have begun to use it regularly.

There is a purpose for nearly everything we have in the house.

I know you all have useful and beautiful items in your homes,

but what are the "special" items in your home that make you smile?

..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  

I am joining 

From My Front Porch to Yours - Treasure Hunt Thursday

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson - Share Your Cup Thursday

Lavender Garden Cottage - Cottage Style Party

Mz. Moozy's Open House - Tuesday's With a Twist

Makin' A List...Checkin' It Twice

I never saw the entire movie, Field of Dreams, but I like the philosophy - If you build it, they will come.

My philosophy on lists is sort of like that - If I put it in writing, I will do it.

 I am a "LIST MAKER".

Lists of books I want to read
Lists of places I want to go
List of daily "to dos"
Lists of projects I want to complete

We had plans to go skiing in Utah for the Presidents' Weekend, but with Steve's surgery a ski trip was out the window.

I have a four day weekend, but we are lying low - no plans to go anywhere.

So, I made a list.

A do-able list.



Buy flowers
Weed the garden
Plant flowers
Change the mantel
Make white placemats
Make a book for Mary Alice of Chateau Chic
Paint a pillow for Nicole of My Garden Diaries
Paint the watering can
Paint #3 weight
Put away the Valentine decorations
Find fabric in the attic for placemats
Start the laundry area redo
Organize linens
Find a place for unused vases, pitchers, plates, etc.
Redo the dining room shelf
Make a new cushion for the garden bench

On Friday, I took care of organizing the linens, finding a place for the vases and pitchers, and planting a few of the flowers in  the front yard.

First up today was to change the mantel from its Valentine theme.

Center stage on the mantel is always one of Steve's paintings.

This painting is particularly special - JP, KC and me walking on the beach at Hanalei Bay at Christmas.

Steve has had several inquiries about purchasing the painting, but he has said no each time.

The objects on the  mantel were inspired by all the lovely "white" rooms I see.

I gathered up all the white pitchers I could find and set them across the mantel.

A friend dropped off some flowers for Steve so I added the greenery to the end pitchers.

I was going to just use pitchers, but I love my cast iron hand with the heart.

I like that the mantel is simple and fresh.

I might add flowers to the pitchers, but the greenery seems easiest to maintain.

With the mantel finished, I moved onto painting.

I bought the large #7 weight last summer in Laguna Beach and paid too much money for it, but I loved it.

I was surprised to find the small #3 and the large #9 weights the other day at TJ Maxx - cheap, really cheap.

 I already had a green weight, but I figured I could paint one of them a different color.

First I painted the #3 weight red, but it turned out a yucky brown.

I like it in yellow.

And, I went with yellow again painting my old watering can.

I have had the watering can for 37 years - it was my grandmother's - and always wanted to paint it.

I saw one on Pinterest that was painted yellow.

I sanded it a bit, but I look forward to the weather giving it a lovely chippy patina.

The majority of my day was spent weeding.

Cold winter weather, the sun setting before I get home from work, rain...all of those contributed to the condition of my garden.

It was so bad, that I just couldn't bring myself to take a picture.

5 large tubs of weeds were dumped in the barrel before I actually got to plant any flowers in the back yard.

Even after planting a few flowers yesterday and three hours in the garden today, I am not finished planting.

And, I am definitely not finished weeding, but our garden is much improved.

When I started weeding, I couldn't even see the white wall below the window because the weeds were covering it.

After two days of weather in the 80s, tomorrow is not supposed to be as warm.

But,  I have to finish the planting.

I know I won't complete the weeding because I need to finish up the custom book for Mary Alice that she won in my Grow Your Blog Giveaway.

I have painted the pillow for Nicole that she won in my GYB Giveaway, but I have to sew it.

16 items on the list:

6 totally complete
4 in progress
2 more to be completed before I go to bed

First I put it in writing and then I check things off.

Now it is up to the attic to put away the Valentine decorations and hunt for white fabric for the placemats.

.......................................

You can find me partying at

Funky Junk Interiors

Life on Lakeshore Drive

Redoux

My Romantic Home

The Shabby Nest

The Gingerbread Blog

Common Ground

Fluffin', Fixin' and Finding Space

When you live in little cottage, space is limited and must be carved out wherever possible.

In between playing nursemaid and doing chores, I found the time to change the mantel from a Valentine theme.

The problem was - where to put things?

I use this cupboard on the porch for outdoor tablecloths and napkins, garden tools and supplies .

What if I use it to store my everyday linens and out of circulations vases, pitchers, etc.?

I moved some pitchers around and edited the contents of the cupboard.

Rarely used items were moved outside to the cupboard and 

things are much more organized - I can actually find what I need.

It is beautiful and HOT today and if it wasn't so windy, we would have eaten lunch outside.

The windows are open and the sun is shining down on Steve as he rests on the sofa.

I cannot clean inside for fear of disturbing him - darn!

I am forced to work in the garden.

I have fluffed and fixed and found space for all my linens.

And now, it is time to find a home for these lovelies.

..............................

I am linked up at

House of Hepworths

Miss Mustard Seed

My Romantic Home

Jennifer Rizzo

French Country Cottage

Off The Shelf

In 2002, we began remodeling our little house.

Our contractor put in a window seat and added a shelf across the length of one wall in the dining room.

I put my collection of pitchers along the shelf.

It is now 2012, and I still have the same pitchers decorating the shelf.

I have added and removed pitchers, but I guess a decade is long enough for a display.

On Sunday, I removed every piece on display in the dining room.

My original plan was to put some of my wire baskets on the shelf after seeing a fun shelf in Romantic Prairie Style, but I decided to start with some plates.

I knew I wanted to keep the red, yellow and blue color scheme.

With the shelf much less crowded, I moved on to my metal rack.

I only had red and yellow on the rack and decided to move to red, yellow and blue to reflect the colors in the window seat cushion.

I brought in some of my collection of hands and moved some books from my green table.

I noticed that I am using a lot more white in my displays since I made white slipcovers for the sofa and chair in the living room.

After the rack was done, I moved on to the entry.

Now my pitchers are in view instead of up high.

 I painted the star pitcher just after we moved to the beach.

The blue spatterware pitchers are both antiques from my mother.

I still had all the different red and yellow dishes that had been on the metal rack to deal with.

I moved them into the kitchen where they will actually be put to use.

My work ended with placing a favorite pitcher on the dining room table.

When we travel, I like to buy something that will always remind me of the vacation.

I bought the pitcher several years ago in Taos when Steve was taking an art workshop.

I'm glad I moved it down off the shelf, because I rarely looked at it on the shelf.

The remainder of the day was spent cycling through the harbor and reading in the garden.

I finished my weekend relaxed and ready for work.

And, I have the entire week to get my plans together for a closet redo.

....................................

I am linked up at

Make It Pretty Monday

Cozy Little House - Tweak It Tuesday

Sunny Simple Sunday