in with the old ...

I absolutely loved this look in our guest room, but I wanted to hang some supplies on the wall and I did not want to tap nail holes all over the fresh paint.

In December we bought an old door at Habitat Restore for $35, but it stayed in storage until this week.

What took me so long in dealing with the door was not knowing how to "age" it.

I finally just laid the door across some saw horses in the garden, slapped on stripper and waited to see what happened.

Then came the fun part.

The door and the table hold a conglomeration of crafting supplies 

and things that simply make me smile - 

like my MacKenzie Childs sock purse hung in honor of Rita of Panoply and Sarah of Hyacinths for the Soul.

The doorknob has no function - I bought it for our pantry door, but it didn't fit and finally I have a spot for it.

With no one staying in the guest room 

and no one expected in the near future,

 I can simply leave things out on the table.

But when company arrives, they will have a pretty view out the window

 and lots of "eye candy".

Now, I need to head outside and get busy in the garden 

because Jann of Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson and I have joined up with the sweet ladies of Thoughts of Home for a Garden Party which begins on April 25.

I guess I was wrong - the guest room does have an occupant, but I don't think she even notices I brought in an old door!

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I am linking up at

Thoughts of Home Thursday

Feathered Nest Friday

Simple Sunday

I had a long day of driving yesterday (in rain) and any drive through Los Angeles is exhausting.

I arrived in Laguna Beach early and was able to stop by the former home of my cousins

which was the inspiration for my desire to live by the ocean.

I was in Laguna to meet with high school classmates to work on our 50th reunion and this was the gorgeous view we enjoyed while we worked.

I snapped a few pics of the fabulous house a classmate designed/built and this cabinet had me swooning.

 I was surprised to discover that the cabinet is the refrigerator and the drawers that pull out are the freezer.

 After so much driving yesterday, I am having a lazy day ...

a relaxing beach walk in the morning after a nice rain ...

playing with my camera ...

cutting flowers from the garden and staging photos ...

editing pics

 and purging my iPhotos ...

What a treat today has been to have a "simple Sunday"!

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

Deleting ... Editing ... Adding

As I age and parts of me no longer cooperate with my plans, I have come to realize that I need to add new things to my life, delete others and edit many of the things I already do.

I love to doodle, but holding a pen is painful so that's a deletion

as is embroidery for now - I started this piece in December and I don't know if I'll ever finish it.

The most difficult deletion is tennis (a very, very old pic of me on the left) - it doesn't look like I will be gripping a tennis racket for quite awhile

and, I will never play competitive tennis again.

But, editing how I do things I have always done (like riding my bicycle) keeps me active.

Nowadays we ride farther, but I can't grip my handlebars well for hills so the flat trails along the beach are pretty much my territory.

A year ago we switched from paddle kayaks to pedal kayaks

and that "editing" has made all the difference in the world - like a quick pedal out to the mile marker.

Walking was always just a couple of miles in the morning,

 but now we take 5 to 6 mile walks, along a variety of beaches, several times a week.

So if I can no longer say I am a tennis player or a crafter or a doodler, what can I add to my list of pastimes?

These days I actually think of myself as a photographer and I have fun "staging" photos

and playing with my camera.

On our walks and bicycle rides, I am always looking for something to photograph like wildflowers in the state park and

it's always fun to stop and watch the herons.

I no longer spend my time doing fine motor skills crafts so

with spring in full bloom in my neck of the woods,

I am moving furniture around the "garden room",

 planting flowers

and taking photographs.

The bud finally opened and all of you who told me I had a poppy were right.

Just as I delete, add and edit my blog posts,

I have done the same with my life

and after a lot of tweaking,

I think I finally have it right.