Decorating Decisions.....

Once again I am in the valley of decision ...I think I may be a seasonal decorator! While I have spent the last year,or so toning all the color down in my home,and once I had a whole lot of color...lots of red! I now find myself wanting to add much color back into it! I am thinking it may have something to do with Spring! Or not,just may be my mood. So should I just change with my feelings or fight the want and leave what I have,knowing these more calm,serene,simple surroundings will come back around to my satisfaction soon enough. Which I still love this look of monotone in my home so much! What I need is a in between...a balance, so to speak! I visit so many different blogs,all with so many different styles and taste. I love so much of every blog I visit,and I will admit...I am influenced by all the wonderful vignettes, etc...I see! I just gotta figure this out.....do what I like...what best suits me,my home....and be happy with it.

I have gone from this............

To this....................

Now...to find my in between :)

The Art of Tasha Tudor.....

I have been reading one of the books I recently checked out at the library. The Art of Tasha Tudor.

ART..........The quality,production, expression,or realm,according to aesthetic principles,of what is beautiful,appealing,or of more than ordinary significance.

I didn't become very aware of who Tasha was until just a few years before her death so I didn't know a lot of her history. Some of the things I learned from this book were rather a surprise to me. She lived a beautiful life from the outside looking in,but when we tend to idealize people we don't imagine all their daily frustrations,trouble and life despairing moments.She had them,just like you and I. She also had some beliefs that are contrary to mine,but such are the ways of this life. With all that said...I still sense a very beautiful life in the way she chose to live. What a gift she had in being able to bring to life such wonder with paper,pencils and paint.
The ability to plant things and make them grow...such a gift there as well. So her life was a art,the living,the dreaming. In reality and in fantasy. And even in death,she will continue to contribute to the world through all that she left behind. While her children are still in a squabble over her estate,etc. My prayer is that love will prevail in the matter and they will come back together as a family and share in the memory of what must have been a beautiful life together,growing up with Tasha Tudor as a mother. Even in the most simplest form of living there can still be much confusion,despair and anxiety...life just has a tendency to be that way. Its in the way we cope and manage that keeps us from going under. In my life I choose to live by biblical instruction and through guidance from God's Holy Spirit. And when I fail,he is always standing over me with his hand held down to help me back on my feet and on to the right path....once again. It is there on that path..that I find Peace!

Credit for most of the pictures goes to Google images

Tasha worked from her winter kitchen......

It seems we keep the same curtains in our kitchen...smile.

Go here to visit The Tasha Tudor Museum. And below is a video which isn't in English,but still lovely to watch. Scroll down and pause the music on my blog first.





Blessings

Outing with a friend and a few finds.

Morning Outing by,Pat Buckley Moss.


I am sitting here this morning on the computer having coffee and shortbread cookies...looking around at all the stuff ...I had my twin grandsons go up to the storage and pull out every last tub filled with Christmas decorations and the like. It was rather overwhelming for me as they brought down tub after tub....I had six to eight...didn't count them. Some of you may have way more and that may not seem like a lot to you but,to me...it is a lot...smile. I opened every tub and went through each one....I sorted,some to keep,some to go,and then left out the tubs that I will be using for decorating for Christmas. The point I am coming to...is that I am still feeling the need to weed. Get rid of....and yet,I still love going treasure hunting in the thrift stores...which is exactly what I did yesterday...I had an outing of my own with my friend Betty. I have however become so more disciplined as to what I buy.....even if I didn't make one purchase..I would still love going just for the look-see. We also did just a bit of grocery shopping and after getting home last evening...I was worn out and basically left bags sitting here and there. Now,I am trying to work all the kinks out of my body so I can get some housekeeping done. Story of my life...so to speak...smile. It is raining softly this morning(a wonderful thing) so my plan is the light a candle or two...play some Christmas music and straighten my house up...get things in a more organized manner so I can feel at ease. I look around and see I am going to need to pack things away and make room for the decorations....I don't plan to do near as much as I usually do though...still trying to keep it simple. But,I have so little room ...it is going to take some moving of this and that to get things as I want them. I am sure when all is said and done I will be comfortable and then can sit back enjoy the things I choose to decorate with and work on those handmade gifts. Now,I got that all off my chest...do I feel better...smile. Thanks for putting up with me. Oh,and I did bring home just a few things from my outing yesterday but,during that sorting process I gave one whole tub to my daughter Kathy...Regina came up and picked some things for herself and I also have a whole tub of things that I am donating to our Christmas Bazaar at the church on Saturday. So,I did really good... I think! 

And here are my finds from yesterday....nothing you see was over $1.00.....
Its going to be a Country Prim Christmas in my home this year.... feels very right to me.

The sweet teddy bear is from the 1980's...fully jointed. Little black tins for candles or whatever.

And I love this framed cross stitch piece...WELCOME. You are always welcomed here at Simply Shelley's.

 It was fun to out and about for a change...I am home so much these days which I don't mind one bit either....Home is a nice place to be and if one has a home ..that is something to be so thankful for. Don't you agree?

In My little Basket.....

Basket ....
A container made of twigs, rushes, thin strips of wood, or other flexible material woven together.

I like baskets...they are pretty,useful and works of art in my opinion. I have a quite a few but,am just sharing these today. All the ones you see in this post have been found at thrift stores,garage sales or flea markets.
They are always very cheap.....don't think I ever pay over a 1.99 for one.

Cute Christmas basket,with jingle bells.

This one sits on top of my refrigerator and keeps my bread,chips,etc. 

Hanging from the ceiling of my mobile home.

 If you are very tall you will bump your head on these...smile.

Even the bottoms can be pretty.

One thing I like about baskets is they are not only nice to look at but,they come in quite handy when needing to carry something. They have been around for centuries and I don't see them ever going out of style. I prefer the older ,vintage,antique ones but,there are a lot of nice modern ones out there too.

The next three pictures are from google images.....

Pretty

Neat

Cute

Now for a little poem...written by me.


In my little Basket.


I will take my little basket and a gathering I will go...Reaping earths bounty,the blessings God bestows. Flowers in Spring,bright leaves in Fall....in Winter I will gather pine cones to hang from my Christmas Tree so tall. No need to go spending money on something false...take your basket and go shopping in God's bounty...where there isn't any cost. 

~Around the house~

Hello, hope your weekend is off to a great start .
Just thought I would share some pictures from some of my primitive decorating I have been doing here at home. Today,I packed away a lot of my old dishes with pretty shabby roses and flowers on them that I have had displayed for many years. I will put them in storage,just in case my taste in decor should change again.
I am very happy and content with the prim things for now. Along with changing the decor,I am doing my best to declutter some. I spent about a half of a day this week going through my bedroom and taking some things to donate to a local charity.
I plan to do a lot more decluttering,as I am able.
We have had a lot of rain the last couple of days and the Snapdragon's that son planted for me last fall are all bloomed out,and so pretty. They are one of my favorite flowers. I will try and get a picture of them to share with you soon .





Thanks so much for stopping by to see me and have a wonderful weekend.





Blessings,Shelley





Enjoy the pictures...........................................





~This sweet vintage picture was a freebie from a flea market. They had a lot of things set out to take what you want and give a donation to a local Christian radio station, which I was proud to do since it's my favorite station to listen to.~ It's not in the best of shape,but I think it's so prim this way. I was going to take it out of this frame and place it in a new one. Instead I decided to just wipe it up and leave it as it is. It's little frame is so chippy and sweet. The picture has some small holes and a few stains ,but I love it just as it is.~






~Candle holders and little Church birdhouse's.~





~I love this very small one with the rusty tin roof.~

~Simple grouping of vintage pitchers~ I am on the look out for some nice primitive style wooden plates or bowls to display on the top shelf.~

~Baskets can hold just about anything.~

~Fun bowl fillers.~

~Jalyn's little friends in a primitive cradle.~

~A top my little cabinet,patchwork handmade pillow,doll,country prim angel,and a big country basket with my crochet project.~