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 

Old Friends

Steve and I celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary last Sunday and serendipitously 

an unexpected gift arrived in the mail on Monday.

I had forgotten that a dear friend we met 45 years ago was making us a quilt.

I was cleaning up the "garden room" when the package arrived and I laid the quilt on the table photograph it.

I am in love with all the different "beachy" fabrics Carol chose for the quilt

and the backing is wonderful.

When passing through Ventura, Carol and Mike have stopped by a couple of times this past year

so she knows my color palette and did a great job on the colors of the quilt.

The quilt looks so pretty in the garden, but it will never be used outside where it might fade.

No, the quilt gets a prime spot on the sofa so I can see it

and smile every time I look at it.

I wasn't planning any changes in the living room this week,

but thanks to an old friend our living room is looking fresh for spring.

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Join me at Poofing the Pillows for Thoughts of Home Thursday

Life doesn't have to be perfect . . .

I don't make New Year's resolutions and I don't choose a word for the year,

but when I came across the quote, "Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful", I thought it would make a good motto for 2016.

So, what have I been up to in this imperfect, but WONDERFUL life I lead?

Mainly, I have been changing everything around from Christmas to everyday decor.

The dining room shelf turned white.

I stole a bunch of quilts from a cabinet in the living room and added them to the guest room ladder.

And of course one moves triggers another so new vignettes adorn the shelves in this skinny cabinet

and I spruced it up with a little ivy wreath.

My little shopping cart is now in the living room filled with a portion of my letter collection ( I have an addiction) and I discovered that an old wire crate fits on the bottom as a second shelf.

The ivy wreath didn't last long in the living room - the tall white cabinet in the entry needed a little color.

Everyone wondered why I would move my new red cart from it's spot in the entry, but it was just a tad too big.

My grandpa's rocker, spruced it up with some hearts I made the other day, takes up very little space.

Steve's kitchen got an update with a tall metal stool and then an unplanned change this afternoon.

I yanked a cord that got twisted around one of the shelves and then CRASH!

Not much survived, but I only lost 2 old treasures.

Even with the disaster in the kitchen (definitely not perfect) it's still a wonderful world.

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Share Your Cup

French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday

Layer Upon Layer

The other day we were kayaking in the late afternoon

 and for the first time in months, I was not stripped down to my bathing suit, but dressed in layers (I had even thrown in a sweatshirt "just in case")

and it got me thinking about how fall is all about layers.

Our days are still warm, but the night comes earlier and the evenings are cooler so both my clothing and decor get layers at this time of year.

In summer, I want uncluttered surfaces, but this time of year I frequently use a tablecloth and even my centerpieces are layered for color and texture.

In the summer, when Steve takes a nap, he uses this throw beneath him to catch errant sand,

but when fall arrives, we use it at night to keep our legs warm when we sit by the fire.

The mantel is another spot that is layered this season.

I usually keep vignettes off to the sides, but my latest design has dried branches strewn across the mantel.

Leaves, candles, books, clocks, etc. are layered to add height and interest.

My little red ladder is layered

with fall decor

as is my garden ladder.

This ladder was in the guest room, but it got booted outside when I found a shorter one and I love it in the garden because it allows for color at different heights.

 An extra quilt is added to the bed and a throw rug covers the now cold floors.

In the summer, I don't have time for crafts, but with the sun setting earlier I need something to keep my hands busy when watching movies

so my craft supplies become part of the decor.

I add layers to cozy up my house -

what's your fall decorating trick?

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