tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34128663673169742112024-02-06T20:02:01.717-08:00hodgepodge--house arresta collection of articles written for The Leaf Chronicle newspaper in Clarksville, TN. articles relate to decorating, home, garden and family life.Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-46551095471668090472015-02-16T11:52:00.001-08:002015-02-16T11:52:00.475-08:00Painting Prep and Inspirational Quotes<p><em>Originally published in The Leaf Chronicle on Feb 1, 2015</em> <p>Recently, a friend asked me if I had any tricks for painting ceilings. I told her my trick is—wait for it--to get my husband to do it. (Bah dum bum—thank you folks, I’ll be here all week . . .). <p>Honestly though, I do hesitate to give tips for painting walls because there are so many different schools of thought for “best practices.” You’ve got techniques for painting walls, ceilings and trim—each one is likely different. I suppose that’s why there are so many products on the market for accomplishing this chore. <p>Some prefer using rollers, while others are masters with brushes. Myself? I prefer using paint pads for the large surface areas, but I need an angled, short-handled brush for cutting-in and the trim. Beyond that, you’d probably do better to figure-out your own tactics <p>My approach for painting a room is rather languid. Unless there is some sort of deadline, such as an impending visit from the President and First Lady, I will take my sweet, sweet time. I will come out of the gate going great guns, but soon as I have to exchange my brush for the paint pad or vice versa, my enthusiasm will start to wane. <p>My biggest hurdle however is the preparation. The patching of holes is a chore which sucks my will to continue. As it usually works for me, I tell myself that I’m going to get started painting and should be finished by the end of the day, but then I take down a picture and am reminded of the difficulty I had driving a nail into the plaster. <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4lxNA5jbu3M/VOJKVOwpMXI/AAAAAAAAJdA/GPOwEgxbMHc/s1600-h/2015-01-20%25252016.39.10%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2015-01-20 16.39.10" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2015-01-20 16.39.10" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCG94F3k8AZ6UD9z6YWdA-HdeLCAl13gZCZYTZVWVPKot1O86y7UHff80Fr-M5_j10tR_pqx8tmZozQYWOVO7hLs38tUeObx0nURGiJGpS0gYcCunm9X999bFtDGNh04Ra9KUULeTXXUY/?imgmax=800" width="372" height="249"></a> <p align="center"><font size="2"><em>(Here is a patch job done by our contractor—thank goodness! If it had been up to me we’d still be looking at the crack. As it was, I had to sand it and was really put-out about that—I had already prepared my paint and was ready to roll . . . or rather, “pad.” </em></font><font size="2"><em>Of course, I then remembered I had told him not to worry about sanding—I would be glad to do it. Ugh.)</em></font> <p>When we first moved into this house, I had a heck of time getting our numerous pictures hung. I could easily spot where they need to go and dived right in with hammer, hooks and nails only to be thwarted by the amount of plaster that was chipping away with each blow of the hammer. (Yes, I knew the nail was my intended target.) <p>I finally discovered the tip for putting a piece of tape on the wall where I intended to drive the nail to keep the plaster from chipping. I am, however, reminded of my early frustrations as I remove pictures from the wall in preparation for painting. <p>For years the pictures have hung in place—nicely camouflaging the hack job I performed on the walls. They’ve been there, quietly keeping the secret of my “old house rookie” mistakes. They do their job so well, I had forgotten about the surprises which awaited me. <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tJsIezl-uY0/VOJKWHdq1vI/AAAAAAAAJdQ/TPKrSsOo-ok/s1600-h/2015-01-20%25252016.41.06%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2015-01-20 16.41.06" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2015-01-20 16.41.06" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFM6fX2UwEeA3yFknOtQ-we_8dX98hnYkGF0F7r95UU47CIb4iA9R3sw9O-iZokvtm5dLKC2iFfWOmDE8Mr4k_gVEVLzFYFNuT5mtk9Uwt0Hx1oZMjH00i32RW3wTy09BbfTgTbBMk8I/?imgmax=800" width="379" height="254"></a> <p>So then, my enthusiasm starts to falter as I realize I’m not going to be able to jump right into the “fun part,” as I am first required to patch the divots. Patching requires waiting for the compound to cure and by then, I’ve usually found a “cure” for my initial desire to paint. <p>And then there is “taping;” nothing takes the wind out of my sails like taping. A while back I shared my inspirational, Yogi-on-a-rock-in-the-middle-of-a-still-pond quote:<i> Taping is for pessimists</i>. And, while I stick to my optimistic guns on the frivolity of taping for most projects, I do have to acknowledge I did tape off the floor around the baseboards of my cabinets, which I recently painted. I was not about to risk black paint on my new kitchen floors—something even rose colored glasses would not be able to disguise. <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-49nEO5YEpPg/VOJKXNOys6I/AAAAAAAAJdc/QFjVRAOe8Ug/s1600-h/IMG_6548%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_6548" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="IMG_6548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdvzpgW89QMGj-8tAHc2aVQwiVekD1m6m-DrnJ9k4Okf8AqDVHcH6KGAznTR923iJe7kJ2jvMHLyVbyITS32cqjWmpU7GahV0RfMnIKH02iZrguhP5fnnml-8Vfv2ZdeuoBXrh_CICd8/?imgmax=800" width="295" height="441"></a> <p align="center"><em><font size="2">(First, let me draw your attention to the black baseboards. Doesn’t it appear as though they have always been so? Now, get a load of that patch job—there under clock. My first, lazy attempt was with caulk—since I had been caulking the trim and anything else you can think of. I had to go back over it with plaster patch because the divot was so deep . . . and wide.)</font></em> <p>Speaking of those baseboards, I have to share this with you. Years ago we painted our kitchen cabinets black. It was one of our first undertakings. At that time we were preparing for the holidays—an apparent ignition switch for me, as I tend to take on HUGE tasks just before the holidays—so time was short. <p>Because our floors were white AND I loathe taping AND my husband was helping (thus, we would not skip the “frivolous” step) I convinced myself that I wanted the baseboards to remain white. It was a decision I’ve regretted for 10 years, but the prospect of the prep work was debilitating, so it never got done—until now. <p>After our new floors were down in the kitchen, I set about scrubbing the baseboards and taping-off the floor. Our baseboards now match the cabinets (not the floor) and I couldn’t be more pleased. Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-30185128534614764812015-02-05T18:42:00.001-08:002015-02-05T18:48:57.069-08:00Painting the Kitchen<p>Published, Jan 25,2015 <p>Well, I don’t know about you, but I enjoyed our recent and brief respite from the bitter cold last weekend. We were visiting another one of Tennessee’s “top five” cities—Knoxville. Yet another gymnastics competition took us to their downtown area, too. In fact, all of Tennessee’s “top five” host these competitions—oops, make that four-and-a-half out of the five. <p>There is a small, pre-season competition which is hosted by Clarksville Elite, but they hold it at the Foy Fitness Center on the APSU campus. It doesn’t begin to compare to the scale and scope of the meets held in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga, though. <p>I just think it’s strange that a city that boast about its convenient central location, that we haven’t done something to take advantage of that location. I am sure greater minds than mine are working on it. I’ll just worry my pretty little head about domestic matters—like making hotel reservations and researching places to dine and shop while we’re attending the next event. <p>As for other domestic matters, I have once again tackled the less than enviable task of painting the kitchen. This is a process that was much needed, but became impossible to ignore after our recent renovations. <p>I don’t think I mentioned is before, but I asked Glen (our contractor for this project) move the cabinet surrounding our refrigerator about six inches to the left. It’s something I thought of a while ago, but doing so would have exposed an area of the floor which was not covered by the laminate floor that my husband and I had installed. The thought of trying to retro-fit the flooring into that exposed space was too daunting, so we waited. <p>We have a side-by-side refrigerator, which I normally wouldn’t have considered, but it met my single requirement: it was the largest capacity I could find which would fit into the space available. It fit, but (a little detail one should apparently consider) the door on the right hit the door jam on the adjacent wall and wouldn’t open. That’s when we came-up with the solution of removing the door jam and cutting it to a length that allowed the refrigerator door free movement—sort of. It still hit the door to the laundry room whenever we had to open it wide enough to open the crisper drawers. <p>Eight years of door banging had me ready to jump on this possibility of moving those cabinets when we had to replace the flooring. Glen told me it would be an easy fix, so I added it to the list. What a difference the move has made. The space we lost—to the left of the cabinet—was a concern, because I stow a rolling cart, which holds my stand mixer, there. Now it protrudes into the walkway a little more, but not enough to matter to anyone. <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-lG-4ZSeCukE/VNQqH3MmKsI/AAAAAAAAJXs/3WENndGhGrY/s1600-h/2015-01-22%25252014.41.17%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2015-01-22 14.41.17" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2015-01-22 14.41.17" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiGTqbeq_ZhjgoOUqCnKRP_iJzkusmOfmaXD8okZ0Tq464MPvrdZgqhFN5DQdEtlNlFl_8OdJ7hBzcrkbCb3U0L94Hfl4N6fOV8STUVjzM-QnVjpR5gCsAKoPYf_aHbK14E_B5XqkFqI/?imgmax=800" width="468" height="323"></a> <p align="center"><em>The repositioned cabinets gave us more room to open the doors on the refrigerator.</em> <p> <p>The new flooring and laundry room also provided an opportunity to make a few more changes to the space, too. I brought home a piece of furniture I had in Hodgepodge, but had been keeping in storage; it was always one of my favorite pieces and, consequently, I didn’t discount it when I closed shop. (My subconscious mind obviously had plans for it.) <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5P17Uerb7ig/VNQqI4P_HcI/AAAAAAAAJX8/bc4mxPLMjkA/s1600-h/2015-02-05%25252018.20.45%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2015-02-05 18.20.45" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2015-02-05 18.20.45" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjML3yLqcXVJCgQtjlbxiD6MNGcRKk2gfVqW3s1Cm6A6agN8BeqiIinFil7XOTemiNOTL_CPCwvU4idXVEDR0TldatM0JthpSkeH8pIR27pBXzMm_4I8u27ax7A08w5HqEoZEbhuqLvhM/?imgmax=800" width="273" height="416"></a> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-P0frP18uw7w/VNQqKG6vt1I/AAAAAAAAJYM/2MIsnCL8ZfI/s1600-h/2015-02-05%25252018.21.17%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2015-02-05 18.21.17" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2015-02-05 18.21.17" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqwJweZx6fAll4xgJ2izEVL1Zwq9dQWjcWVnhKKnqnZHyYc-7cTBASukTpMlyoDhq0Lszxd1ij24TBHDzUwmAVWfOv2UysKTdlF4Y65by33lsXs2-HNMIZ97BsadZKZyJ9GXCBoo_CvU/?imgmax=800" width="453" height="313"></a> <p align="center"><em>My subconscious desire—the black bookcase/cupboard.</em> <p>So, I told you all of that to tell you this: I started painting the kitchen again. When I moved the white cabinet from the kitchen into the laundry room, I took that opportunity to paint the wainscoting, trim and wall before positioning the new bookcase there. <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Tm-hIi2y554/VNQqLIr02II/AAAAAAAAJYc/EOwSKXtgmj4/s1600-h/2015-01-09%25252014.24.18%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="2015-01-09 14.24.18" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2015-01-09 14.24.18" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6b1e9ope-B4/VNQqLlnmaxI/AAAAAAAAJYk/Dh3TdOu0OQs/2015-01-09%25252014.24.18_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="462" height="325"></a> <p align="center"><em>the white cupboard in it’s new location</em> <p> <p>Fortunately, I love the color of our kitchen, so I am just going to freshen-up the look with some cleaning and the same colors. This way, I will be able to take my time—thus far proven, as I began the process just after Thanksgiving—without having to be met with an offensive contrast of colors. Of course, this could also work against me when I consider my ability to procrastinate. <p>One last note, since I apparently have a few things on my mind and the time on my hands to consider them . . . at length . . . I’ve decided to begin blogging again. This may not mean much to you, but it is a big thing for me. I consider it an obligation, of sorts. If you tell your readers you’re going to do something, then you need to do it. So, if you like reading about our renovation projects and general shenanigans, you may want to check it out. I will also be providing a few more photographs than space allows here in “The Leaf.” By the end of the weekend, you’ll find me at <a href="http://www.hodgepodge-home.blogspot.com">www.hodgepodge-home.blogspot.com</a>. <p>A personal note—thank you to the friends who encouraged me to get back to my blog. I appreciate the support and confidence. Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-54202956428264912022014-02-03T13:48:00.001-08:002014-02-03T13:48:51.166-08:00It’s Beginning to look a lot like Chaos<p>originally published on Dec 15, 2013 in The Leaf Chronicle <p>I was hoping to regale you with decorating tips and pictures of my decorated home, but alas—‘twas not to be. As author John Steinbeck penned, “The best laid schemes of mice and men . . .” <p>Oops! Wrong. It wasn’t Mr. Steinbeck, although I learned the quote in his novel, “Of Mice and Men,” he was actually quoting a poem written by Robert Burns. Anyhoo, the point is: plans often change or are changed for you. <p>My plans for the weekend changed drastically when the hard drive on my computer at the shop crashed Friday night at the close of business. No problem—it just contains all of the information vital to the operation of my shop for the past 9 years. I don’t use it much . . . just for every transactions, inventory question, social media to posts and email conversations. Naturally, after three hours on the phone with tech support and the promise of the delivery of a “recovery disc” (as if that means ANYTHING to me) within 3 – 5 business days, I took this whole event in stride. <p>So, after my mini-meltdown, I called my sister and asked her WWAD (What Would Angela Do?). Angela is one of our really, really smart friends who knows her way around a computer. Kendall (my sister) is usually my go to girl, but when she doesn’t know what to do—we go to Angela. When Angela doesn’t know what to do—we cry. Angela suggested calling tech support—when that didn’t work—she said, “Take it to Doghouse Computers.” <p>So, first thing Saturday morning, I did. They fixed it and got it back to me the same day! So, please, let that be a lesson for all of us. I am rabid about shopping local, but thought that, at 6 p.m. on a Friday night, my only option was online help. Not only did the online tech support fail me (they, in fact, promised they would have me up and running that night), but now I am fighting to get my money back. Taylor, at Doghouse, talked to me—in person—and understood my desperate situation and did everything he could to fix my computer as quickly as possible. Shop local, people—it makes a difference. <p>I told you all of that, so I could tell you this . . . <p>With my weekend compressed by my computer emergency, my plans for a big day of decorating this past Sunday turned into a big day of cleaning out the front room, which we refer to as “the parlor,” but that sounds so hoity-toity when I see it written. I had hoped to tackle this project Friday night so we could make room to relocate a table from the living room, to make room for the big tree. The <i>parlor</i> (said in my head with a droll British accent) was a little cluttered, as it has been the catch-all space for: inventory I’m holding onto; a college student’s “must have” bike; empty boxes from the recent bathroom re-do; a variety of ready-to-hang-but-no-wall-space-available art; and, a purgatory (of sorts) for laptops awaiting their final resting place. <p>The only decorating I managed was placing three trees in their designated positions—only two of which have lights on them; because that is the way I brought them home from my shop! The big tree in the living room gets a minimum of 1,000 new lights each year. I leave that tree on 24 hours per day and do not bother storing light strings that have had a minimum of 700 hours of use. When I used to reuse lights, I’ve had them go out, a string at a time, throughout the month of December—not doing that again. <p>My youngest daughter helped by bringing down some of the boxes while I was at the shop. She even arranged my Santa and nutcracker collections. That was a huge help due to all of the unwrapping involved in those chores. <p>As I plan my attack for the rest of the décor, I have found myself wondering what, if anything, I can “skip” this year. I probably won’t decorate the cabinet tops with all of the fresh greenery I’ve used in the past. I may also skip the vintage tinsel tree in the dining room . . . especially since I’ve added a new tree at the base of the stairs. Nah—who do I think I’m kidding? The tinsel tree will probably go up tonight, while I’m helping my <i>decorating elf</i> with her homework. It’s only about 4 feet tall—the tree, not the decorating elf; I adorn it with vintage ornaments in shades of aqua and pink—the elf, not the tree . . . (rimshot, please). <p>I have one more chance to share some decorating ideas with you next week. You know better than to hold your breath though.</p> Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-55922732529836367782014-02-03T13:39:00.001-08:002014-02-03T13:39:06.993-08:00The Final Countdown!<p>originally published in The Leaf Chronicle on Dec 8, 2013 <p>My mind is a total blank. It’s a few weeks before Christmas and I can’t think of a thing to share with you. That’s a lie. I can think of things I want to share, but my mother raised me better than that, so I probably shouldn’t. <p>My mind is a jumble of all the things I need to accomplish in order to close my shop in less than two weeks. (I’m trying to control myself as a mild panic sets in and I double check the calendar—yup, less than two weeks. YIKES!) All while everyone around me seems to be decorating for Christmas. <p>While I was working on my computer the other night, I looked around the house, wondering when I will find the time to decorate our house. I may be able to start today (not the day I am writing, but the day you are reading); then again, I may just sit in my chair and stare at the television. At the moment, I’m leaning towards “just sitting.” <p>Perhaps I can do it in baby steps, just tackling one room at a time. The only problem with this plan is that it is highly probable that I wasn’t quite that organized in my packing last year. Wouldn’t it be great to pull out a box and it only contains the decorations for the living room? The next box would have only the assembly items for the stairwell décor. However, it is much more likely I’ll pull out the box with the greenery for the stairwell and have to stop after I put the lights on to find the ribbon, which is likely in the bottom of another storage bin—under the nutcrackers or the Santa collection. <p>I guess I will have to resign myself that it will be a long, drawn out process with stuff strewn all over the house. After all, why should this year be any different? I think, because my shop is such a mess as I try to organize and pack 9 years of accumulation, I am reluctant to turn the house upside down, as well. <p>Several friends and family have told me I shouldn’t bother decorating the house or perhaps I shouldn’t do as much as I usually do. I can’t help but wonder if they really mean that. I mean, they know me well enough to be referred to as “friends and family,” so you’d think they’d know I can’t <i>not </i>do it all. <p>This year may be a bit of a challenge, but it’ll happen and I’ll be glad it did. <p>By the way, as I finished typing this, my neighbor, Ryan, just texted me that he’s done decorating his entire house—he puts me shame with the amount of stuff he does! He may just lose a few bulbs out of his light strings tonight . . .</p> Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-64053843462042747112014-02-03T13:31:00.001-08:002014-02-03T13:31:32.163-08:00Creating a New (Accidental) Tradition<p>originally published in The Leaf Chronicle on Dec 1, 2013. <p>As I am writing this, the dressing is waiting in the crock pots, the pies are cooling on the sideboard and the cranberry sauce is at the ready. Mom is rending the meat of the baked sweet potatoes from their skins and preparing to top them with dried cranberries and almonds. All is (mostly) right in my world. I am, however, a day behind in composing my column and not even sure they will be able to insert it in the Living section, but feel compelled to sit down to write. <p>I love preparing meals for the holidays—almost more than eating them. I enjoy planning menus and table settings; I love cooking. Yup—pretty much the entire process ranks rather high on my list of things I like to do. The funny thing about Thanksgiving preparations though, is that—although a month separates them—they go hand-in-hand with Christmas planning. <p>As I prepare my menu for Thanksgiving, I am conscious of the fact that I will be preparing similar offerings for the Christmas meal(s). With a collection of more than fifty cookbooks, one might think there is no way duplicates should even be offered, but it’s difficult to not fall back on the tried and true. I like to experiment with new recipes, especially when we are entertaining, but have not venture too far from my standard menus for the past few years. <p>One new development I noticed yesterday was when I was rifling through my cookbooks to find a recipe I typically use; Mom opened the kitchen cabinet to look at the notes from last year’s menu. I know they are there, but it just occurred to me how helpful that is. (Evidence that my inability to throw things away is, in fact, borderline brilliance—it’s not the cure for cancer, but <i>will</i> aid my sanity.) <p>If you open the cabinet door where I keep my spices, you will find the notes and menu plans for the week of Christmas 2012, just under the plans for Thanksgiving 2013. I think most of us write out our menus for special events like this. Ours has notes about who will be preparing which dishes and which Southern Living Annual Recipes book contains the Bourbon and Chocolate Pecan Pie (it’s 1998, by the way). <p>Notes like these have already proven useful this year, but I think there are added benefits. <p>For instance, when I say things such as, “You know, I would like to try cooking a beef tenderloin for Christmas,” and my mother looks at me like I’ve got lobsters coming out of my ears, she will be able to back-up her “are you nuts” look with my own hand written menu from 2011 as evidence. (For your amusement, I will confess that this memory lapse actually happened last year, all expect for the “evidence;” we don’t have that menu taped to the cabinet. The fact remains, however that I completely forgot having prepared a beef tenderloin—a cut of meat which is to dang expensive to forget!) <p>So, through happenstance, I’ve decided this will be a new tradition for the King Kompound. I will now purposely keep these notebook pages taped to the insides of cabinet for two years. After which they will be retired to a page protector in my black three-ring recipe binder, for posterity and reference. My kids will likely never need/want to reference them, but I like to think they might. I know I’d love to have something like that from my mother, but at least I’m making these memories with her. <p>I hope you enjoy (and remember) your menu planning this holiday season. <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIxCqoFnUqPePP1d8_Ch6iQCYLVTXhiQt5GRQTbjwhji7HjxUBNjCGS7foo6BHCQfgOJ3yOMaA82PBKuKv_nwZnmyc8kTbABvZEF0ndyf4X17alW_OHx_ZABB4X8q06nvDsN2Tl498Zc/s1600-h/collection%252520of%252520menus%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="collection of menus" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="collection of menus" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZPaHgC94Z4srwUX7ptHp-rAnm9Hrlr0O8efiZ7648CECrcCJ4K1M3wnrKiW4GW9UfCgWzAa6fwbXEYEOkYy4gQEwWPMQVnj0DAJ5cdpor_S6aBbfhobkeAQycxEym6Ld9C3tGpJU-6o/?imgmax=800" width="402" height="321"></a> Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-76904247741793625062014-02-03T13:23:00.001-08:002014-02-03T13:23:53.014-08:00Plenty of Blessings at Thanksgiving<p>originally published on Nov 23, 2013 in The Leaf Chronicle <p>I’ll start this column by saying thank you to all of the kind and concerned patrons of Hodgepodge, whom also demonstrate distinguishable intelligence by reading The Leaf Chronicle, for their inquiries regarding whether or not I would continue writing for this fine publication. The foreseeable future does include a weekly column written by yours truly, but I will encourage you to share your appreciation for the journaling of my antics with my editors—all persons I regard with the highest esteem. <p>As this column will appear a few short days prior to my favorite holiday, I thought I’d share a little about our holiday plans. Like the menu, there will be only minor variances from years prior. For instance, I started discussing the menu with my mother and eldest daughter the other night. I suggested a possible change from my regular offering of my mushroom and sausage dressing—which I’ve been serving for nigh on 20 years (argh! I should not have done the math . . .)—and was met with hesitation. Neither of them wanted to stomp my new idea, but they had apparently been looking forward to the old standard and, to be honest, so am I. The new rice dressing will have to wait for a less momentous occasion. <p>In a recent column I told you about my cousin’s approach of serving her Thanksgiving meal in courses, which I think is a fabulous idea—yet will not come to fruition at the King Kompound this year. I don’t think this is the year to implement changes—we have enough to contend with at the moment. <p>I did say, however, I won’t make my pumpkin bread pudding this year. The request has been submitted for basic, everyday (but not at my house), run-of-the-mill pumpkin pies, which I happen to love. I haven’t made a pumpkin pie in years! Anyhoo, as I was flipping through a magazine this morning, I saw a recipe for a Double Chocolate Bread Pudding with a Coffee Caramel Sauce and my mouth began to water. I’m thinking bread pudding will make an appearance, but in a slightly different form this year. <p>I am still considering the table setting, but I know it will involve my Johnson Brother’s Friendly Village dishes. Last year, I used some wheat b<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--mbrtd03mow/UvAI44ZKzJI/AAAAAAAAJQs/gKsP-86IHIY/s1600-h/thanksgiving%252520table%2525202012%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="thanksgiving table 2012" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="thanksgiving table 2012" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-cpdWzQzdHhw/UvAI5oyj1tI/AAAAAAAAJQ0/fDn2vHOsytE/thanksgiving%252520table%2525202012_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a>undles I had arranged as the focal point for the table, but the moths really liked them, so I had to toss them (in the picture). I have a cotton bowl garland and couple oat standards I made which will likely anchor this year’s display. <p>The challenge of our dining room table is its—umm—rustic condition. We bought it from Carolyn Robinson at Traditions when we first moved to Clarksville. I believe she said it had been in a break room at factory in Nashville; I could’ve made that up, but I’ve been telling folks the same story for years, so it has to be true by now. We absolutely love this table! The top is constructed of two wide, thick oak boards that have been pocked by cigarette burns and numerous other assaults. Where the two boards meet in the middle, there is a little ridge which keeps me from displaying anything with a flat bottom in the center of the table—everything wobbles. I generally have to use displays with feet that will straddle the ridge. Sometimes, I slip a coaster or some other shim-like device under the tablecloth to stabilize the chosen centerpiece, as I did last year. <p>Oh well, the world is full of challenging situations which perplex us to no end. My dining table centerpiece will not bring about world peace or the end of starvation in the Sudan. So as we gather around our table—wobbly centerpiece and all—I will be praying for the same and giving thanks for the many, many blessings the King family enjoys. Happy Thanksgiving! Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-42582089560542716092014-02-03T13:14:00.001-08:002014-02-03T13:14:40.154-08:00Fall Fluff<p>originally published in The Leaf Chronicle on Nov 17, 2013. <p>Please tell me my calendar is wrong. Please tell me I did not lose two weeks of my life-especially at such a critical time in my life. As I told my husband the other day, I feel like I went to sleep on the 28<sup>th</sup> of October and woke-up mid-November. <p>By “critical time in my life,” I am pretty sure you think I’m referring to the announcement that we are closing Hodgepodge, but actually, I am talking about the holidays. I mean, I live for this stuff! What a time to have to be worried about the nuts and bolts of wrapping-up nearly a decade of boutique ownership. <p>I wonder how your preparations are progressing. Did you print a check list? Did you laugh your way to the recycling bin, with my column in hand? I have to admit, I haven’t figured out my preparation timeline yet, but I am looking forward to my favorite holiday and enjoying time with family. <p>As you read this, my sister, Kendall, is (hopefully) on her way here with my mother riding shotgun. Her infinite number of bags and boxes neatly packed in the trunk and backseat for her extended winter visit. I’m giddy! I love it when she comes to visit. I enjoy sharing our days, making plans for my occasional days off—heck—just having someone to plan meals with is fun! <p>I finally took down my Halloween decorations and am slowly beefing-up the Thanksgiving vignettes throughout the house. After my column last week, I noticed I use a lot of faux and dried florals through the fall and winter. There are several reasons for this additional fluff. <p>First, we’re in the house more; during the spring and summer we’re outside, enjoying Mother Nature. There is no need for the addition of flowers inside and if there is, I can grab some from outside. <p>Second, the dried and silk flowers help cozy-up the place, which isn’t needed during the summer months. We’ve found that is true of vignettes at the shop, too. If we work on a display, but are not completely satisfied with it, we usually add some flowers, a leafy branch or vine and the look is completed. Sometimes, however, too much is <i>too much</i> (profound, eh?). You don’t want to add so much of the stuff that the focal point is obscured. <p>Third, I prefer fall/winter fakes to spring/summer fakes; for some reason they are more convincing. Or is it that they are less offensive? I can’t decide which. My decorating palette definitely reflects the colors of fall, so that is likely the primary reason. They are well-suited to my décor, so they look better. <p>Finally, the faux berries, leaves and flowers don’t shed. I think I’ve mentioned how much my husband loves it when I start bringing the real stuff inside—because I do plenty of that, too. His favorite of favorites has to be Nandina berries. Nothing makes him happier than finding the “suicide berries” (those that choose not to hang-on for the slow, inevitable death) all over the floor, table or counter. Since my single goal in life is to make my husband happy—I guess this is the best reason. <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Jcn1gEVMG30/UvAGtafLadI/AAAAAAAAJQY/X7i4gxV02qM/s1600-h/fall%252520fluff%252520arrangement%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="fall fluff arrangement" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="fall fluff arrangement" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPemxihzPvSiOFao1mtZdwhMgzDZkeWhNQ81O2ucuNsGm7m_7mtM4mmyK0ox9D0KN9GNMvPY1AJJqXJNxwLMhSHbwYZwL8E0DfZ7R3Dp1hDunuEGm8EdeCfV5t_fKuJ67vNy5DARqIRbA/?imgmax=800" width="444" height="316"></a> <p align="center"><em>My most recent addition to our fall fluff.</em></p> Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-76032714675847610252014-02-03T13:08:00.001-08:002014-02-03T13:08:35.281-08:00Create a Fall Accent<p>originally published in The Leaf Chronicle Nov 10, 2013.<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Exh8_DiXTWQ/UvAFJ-CDYfI/AAAAAAAAJOk/RMgnSZ2smgM/s1600-h/finished%252520arrangement%252528567x1024%252529%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="finished arrangement(567x1024)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="finished arrangement(567x1024)" align="right" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-JJCR8ewB1RI/UvAFMjZy66I/AAAAAAAAJOo/Lm4cnVEGGBg/finished%252520arrangement%252528567x1024%252529_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="231" height="424"></a> <p>Okay, I admit it—it’s true. I still have Halloween decorations up. (Of course, it’s only one week gone and I’ve been known to find Christmas ornaments 9 months into the new year!) Is it me, or did that holiday just blow by? (I’m punny.*) <p>As I walked through the house yesterday afternoon, I thought about how bare the place will look without my Halloween accents. I am especially reluctant to pack away a new wall plaque which I have hanging on the door in my kitchen, which leads to the patio. When I took the dog outside for his evening constitutional, I saw the remnants of an arrangement I once had hanging in the house; it was sadly ruined in our house fire, but I couldn’t bear to throw it away. I hung it outside where it has slowly deteriorated, leaving only a form and vase, which I use for a fresh flower accent outside. That’s when I had the idea to recreate that arrangement and share the process with you. <p>Here’s what you will need: <p>A quart-size jar <p>Chicken wire, 2 feet square <p>Wire cutters<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-X4nv2rv0lcc/UvAFNWeWILI/AAAAAAAAJO0/tAh3NbZ1Hk8/s1600-h/supplies%252520for%252520fall%252520%252520arr%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="supplies for fall arr" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="supplies for fall arr" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-v1y99y8d9Mw/UvAFOS2dbVI/AAAAAAAAJO8/82cCbBERFnY/supplies%252520for%252520fall%252520%252520arr_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="339" height="304"></a> <p>Floral foam <p>Hot glue gun <p>Ribbon <p>Spanish moss <p>Flowers and accents <p> <p> <p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9olOnaS0446mBb3ILCwhvenIVVtim_FQ_DNPFVzEtrulTDAFxRgcVmng3n_0ro6dBZOKfyau2GDCNo_r14-cq57cT6hoJmv5OxXjo96sb0y_c1bTDO6AZRxGUzJSda68mLdFfbRKcMuw/s1600-h/2013-11-06%25252012.34.53%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-11-06 12.34.53" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-11-06 12.34.53" align="left" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GxncOTvGO8E/UvAFQsZz7eI/AAAAAAAAJPI/1KiQNi4VeA4/2013-11-06%25252012.34.53_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="456" height="315"></a> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p>1. Cut the chicken wire to size. Roll it into a cone shape; cinch the cone about six inches from the base. Fold the sharp ends of the wire into the cone. Roll the top edge of the cone down two- three times. <p> <p>2. Use the ribbon to wrap the top edge, lacing through the chicken wire. Add a length of ribbon from which to hang the arrangement. Tie the ribbon at the ten- and two-o’clock position on the top edge of the cone (as if you were holding a steering wheel).<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lGWFrKjWbvI/UvAFRN0wf0I/AAAAAAAAJPQ/UArp5N7T12s/s1600-h/form%252520with%252520moss%252520and%252520ribbon%252528637x1024%252529%252520%252528637x1024%252529%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="form with moss and ribbon(637x1024) (637x1024)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="form with moss and ribbon(637x1024) (637x1024)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2vWSnEnBHqE/UvAFRRQYF4I/AAAAAAAAJPY/Az4CWmHyP3U/form%252520with%252520moss%252520and%252520ribbon%252528637x1024%252529%252520%252528637x1024%252529_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="217" height="356"></a> <p>3. Add a liberal amount of Spanish moss to the inside of the cone. Press the moss against the bottom and sides of the cone, where the jar will eventually rest. <p> <p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSqu3ZoAQ7r0GLVOTVGfA1PzchPzaib947_PNx8RCgXVU7bP48EeslKmtlfc1hcBb6LUE55sjBdakdMjE49HmcPk5IQR7FNkyKoVmia4xJDOdtaXsloSKr5OnuoogxVMSQF2cS6oMlUM/s1600-h/foam%252520for%252520fall%252520arr%252520%2525281024x683%252529%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="foam for fall arr (1024x683)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="foam for fall arr (1024x683)" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqy2qCVwAjwyoWuxmTzdV5tCIVQj5bzms99uNfoUttm-RP1LJQrTBBOYFKqJNgK25PSx5SAf-Tj5xhU4BymvoUWSyyLkux11okUO9kEd4NgGiCdGMdRno8Vj8fN9gGiBGrkxHV5BEsyY/?imgmax=800" width="345" height="238"></a></p> <p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-gd_V94uYO08/UvAFS1fEtAI/AAAAAAAAJPw/dg7CEj0jV24/s1600-h/jar%252520w%252520foam%252520fall%252520arr%252520%252528683x1024%252529%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="jar w foam fall arr (683x1024)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="jar w foam fall arr (683x1024)" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZDNtpGpg6LM/UvAFTR1UxNI/AAAAAAAAJP4/MuNP-veQshQ/jar%252520w%252520foam%252520fall%252520arr%252520%252528683x1024%252529_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="162" height="242"></a> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p>4. Cut a piece of floral foam that will fit in the opening of your jar, but is only 2/3 the height of the jar. Using glue gun, drop some glue to the bottom of the jar, followed by the prepared piece of foam. Allow to set, start adding smaller slices/wedges of foam to fill the voids; securing with drops of hot glue if possible. <p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-My_mEvU9RJU/UvAFT_4YRDI/AAAAAAAAJQE/EiOe08YUZis/s1600-h/fall%252520arr%252520in%252520jar%252520%252528677x1024%252529%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="fall arr in jar (677x1024)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="fall arr in jar (677x1024)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kgc2Zu5HoQo/UvAFUUwaulI/AAAAAAAAJQI/ckFi9bBBjJY/fall%252520arr%252520in%252520jar%252520%252528677x1024%252529_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="307" height="472"></a> <p> <p>5. Start adding your flowers and accents. I used dried hydrangeas, along with faux floral accents to include oaks leaves with acorns, pods and sticks. Once you are satisfied with your arrangement, carefully set it in the cone, arranging the moss to disguise the jar. <p>6. Finish by adding a knot of ribbon around the cinched base of the cone. <p>Now you have a beautiful arrangement to enjoy for years to come . . . as long as you don’t have a house fire. PSA: I hope you checked your batteries in your smoke detectors last weekend, if not, do it now. They save lives, homes and flower arrangements! <p>*we had tornado warnings on Halloween . . . get it? “blow by?” Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-34610612574483988302014-02-03T12:47:00.001-08:002014-02-03T12:47:47.214-08:00Bah Humbug!<p>originally published in The Leaf Chronicle on Nov 3, 2013. <p>Guess who just finished decorating her shop for Christmas? Yep—this gal. <p>This is the time when I feel like I should walk around with a sandwich-style board on my person, offering the disclaimer, “It’s not my fault the Christmas holiday retail season has been pushed into August!” Heck, I feel like I should receive some sort of recognition for waiting this long to add Christmas trees and ornaments. We still have plenty of décor for the current season of fall and the next holiday, which—incidentally—is Thanksgiving, not Christmas. (Veteran’s Day is technically “next,” but I don’t think you need to decorate. Just make sure your American flag is flying, thank the veterans you know and do all you can support them all—every day.) <p>Anyhoo, I am trying to keep a positive attitude and laugh at the ridiculous nature of this Christmas push. It is not necessary and it is not new, but here we are. I can understand the need for selling holiday crafting supplies well in advance of the holidays, but getting the decorations out this early is ridiculous. I don’t know who is to blame, but it does reflect the nature of our lives now. We are rushed, so therefore our holidays are rushed. We spend so much time preparing for them that many of us fail to actually enjoy them. <p>I admit that I love decorating for the holidays. It has always brought me much pleasure to deck the halls, but 9 years in retail have taken their toll. Besides, there is so much to do before you serve the turkey, let alone hang an ornament! <p>So, with that out of the way, I will share a few ideas for things you may wish to consider as you get ready to get ready. <p>If you have family or friends coming to visit for the holidays, now is the time to take care of the “big stuff.” If you have pets (or kids), now is the time to schedule an appointment to have the carpets and/or upholstery cleaned. If you have any other minor projects you’ve been putting off, such as replacing the towel bar that always falls off in the guest bath, do it. Save your guest the embarrassment of having that towel bar clang on the tile floor when they yank their towel off. Clean your oven, fridge and the reflectors on the stove—all things I’ve regretted not doing at one time or another. If you need new sheets for the beds the guest will use, now is a good time to buy them. (I have a set to put on my son’s bed which gets used only for guests.) <p>As my life always seems to revolve around my next meal, I recommend making menu plans, too. There are many cooking preparations which can be taken care of well in advance of November 28<sup>th</sup>. There are numerous planning calendars available online or in the cookbooks you likely have on your shelves. <p>You might also make plans for setting your table. Do you want to make a special centerpiece or order flowers? Will you be able to sit at the table or will you need to use the table for serving and provide our guests with lap trays? Either way, early planning will ensure you have everything situated when the time comes to carve the turkey. Speaking of how you will serve your meal, you may wish to consider taking a leisurely approach and serve courses, as opposed to a full meal all at once. It may take some additional planning, but you’ve got time! <p>I want to close by thanking one of my readers, Bridget, for contacting me regarding my reference to my home altar as having the image of the Virgin Mary on it. She suggested it might be a depiction of St. Thérèse of Lisieux; she is completely correct! Many thanks to all of you for reading!</p> Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-54658519330650846012014-01-07T13:34:00.001-08:002014-01-07T13:34:45.524-08:00I Feel Good . . . I Knew That I Would!<p><em>The is the article I wrote for The Leaf Chronicle, which was originally published on Oct 28, 2013</em>. <p>Remember last week when I said I feel energized by this time of year? Well, I have smashed all personal best records since then! Who’s the gal? Me—I’m the gal!!! I admit I’ve been humming the Rocky theme song a lot lately; not “Gonna Fly Now,” but “Eye of the Tiger.” I’ve got a lot to do and this is the time of year, I’m likely to accomplish it. That feels good. <p>We normally pick-up at the shop this time of year, but things have been exceptionally slow this month. (Gee—I wonder why?) The good news, though, is that I’ve had time to tackle the backroom projects that I’ve had waiting for me. I’ve actually cleaned-out some filing cabinets in order to transfer old records to storage. I’ve packed-up all—okay, most—of my creative/crafting supplies so I can relocate them to my “studio space.” <p>Studio space? This is the room in our house formerly known as “the back porch,” which it was . . . a long, long time ago. It was enclosed –poorly—at some point in its history and we’ve yet to assign it a proper name or use. It serves as the catch-all storage area, but I continuously try to claim it for my creative space. We will see if that claim stands-up to time and the forces of nature working against it. (By “nature” I am referring to my tendency to keep things well-beyond my ability to remember why I thought I needed them; it’s my nature to be a borderline hoarder.) <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-4g1gtTqXIJ8/Usxyv-k9jgI/AAAAAAAAJME/Ts7fbmsNB3I/s1600-h/2013-10-22%25252011.18.42%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-10-22 11.18.42" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2013-10-22 11.18.42" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zUax1d9dG8Q/Usxyw9EATUI/AAAAAAAAJMI/ufsb_PfnsNk/2013-10-22%25252011.18.42_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="376" height="260"></a> <p>As much as I am sure you’d enjoying reading a complete list of all the items I parted with this week, suffice to say I hope my Recycle Clarksville serviceman didn’t suffer an injury when he picked-up the stack of magazines I set-out in the bins this morning. Anyone who knows me knows I have a weakness for magazines, so this was a big move. I tossed my high school yearbooks years ago, but I feel sure I still have a few magazines from the years I graduated! <p>During the course of all of this cleaning and recycling, I continued transitioning the seasonal décor throughout the house. I like to think I’m done, but I usually do some tweaking right up until it’s time to store it again. <p>One of my favorite decorating elements is framed art. I like to use vintage art which reflects the season, as you can see in the photograph of my favorite mantel decked out for fall. Here I’ve propped a vintage print of a pair of colorful grouse. I keep an eye out for items such as this at flea markets. This rotation method—changing art with the season—is ideal for our home, as we are concerned our walls may eventually cave in under the weight of all the art we have purchased. Heaven forbid I just say I’ve got enough—not gonna happen! <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdUSNpBlWyEWVkkqHw28vKm2N1tMqG0Ix5BWQyEA_uHzHzTVR0CHUspWx8KOnkCN0dD46cIeqSfwi7ZjGHAg75DjUvSQFyzdeOAdeebBazS2-2L-hNP_KawnoYNVzzAe-H850qArmtYg/s1600-h/fall%252520mantel%2525202013%252520%2525281024x683%252529%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="fall mantel 2013 (1024x683)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="fall mantel 2013 (1024x683)" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qIuaF-pKwn8/Usxyyb-QCjI/AAAAAAAAJMc/O4w94zBUGoo/fall%252520mantel%2525202013%252520%2525281024x683%252529_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="561" height="394"></a> <p>As for our living room mantel, I decided to make just a few changes this year. My dear friend had recently given me the home altar with the image of Mary on it and I’m not quite ready to put it away, so it serves as the anchor. Beyond that, I just added a few candles in the shape of pinecones, wrapped my battery-operated candles in burlap and switched-out the homemade pomanders for some oats. <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-exjF-5szsEU/UsxyzEFjDSI/AAAAAAAAJMk/-e9qFlnHVRc/s1600-h/021%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="021" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="021" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qcsDGYbv0FE/Usxy0OrKywI/AAAAAAAAJMo/HFYdilmionI/021_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="336" height="541"></a> <p> <p> <p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Hi0t1ye-aIw/Usxy06IA39I/AAAAAAAAJM0/lYvDz5-ee5U/s1600-h/fall%2525202013%252520home%252520Plush%252520Pumpkins%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="fall 2013 home Plush Pumpkins" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="fall 2013 home Plush Pumpkins" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0bzStv39NLE/Usxy1jOXg6I/AAAAAAAAJM8/46LvPQIfRDc/fall%2525202013%252520home%252520Plush%252520Pumpkins_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="247" height="382"></a>I always leave my velvet pumpkins on display, so they are not seasonal, but the branches of bittersweet are the provisional accent the pumpkins needed. The decorated bottle on the floor lamp is a leftover from this past winter—it escaped my notice for a few months, then I just couldn’t be bothered to carry it to the storage area; but I did dust it! <p> <p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-R2pZkQj3g24/Usxy2fjYubI/AAAAAAAAJNA/PRMVsyf_J9M/s1600-h/fall%2525202013%252520home%252520turkey%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="fall 2013 home turkey" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="fall 2013 home turkey" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJ7OY6HGoBqhaJF_W2x-dPOFU3qfZwTpk955Ig6NSOhqIBUNKYVyAkY4Rbhdj1X2fx_Jav5rz74huNRpV7f7h_1dOyJ_llT86Ii5IOZJX_ooXQgtxGPLnf-1Df76HopaRMwwQIWx5i7U/?imgmax=800" width="245" height="408"></a>Finally, I’m offering a picture of one of my favorite decorations of the season—my turkey. This is one of those things I had in the shop because I truly loved it and wanted in my home. This happens occasionally; I buy something for the shop because I really would like to have it in my own home, but know that I need to try to sell it. Most of the time, I can happily send inventory home with my customers, but as we sold out of these (I only ordered four), I became very nervous. When we were down to one remaining, I found myself just grabbing it on the way out of the door one evening. I am so glad I did! I love the presence of this guy. This year I’ve placed him in the entry hall along with arrangement of dried lavender and oats and another velvet pumpkin. Perfect. <p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>A few other pictures not offered in the newspaper:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeulFc7B3DRDxIawXxajDsgG9gDCs5LuSAdFK4BPdiPvdQmeXTWI74nxjI6qw1S6mwAtPNYyCfaLXPXUeGyBzLhtyG4szcQRr-F_bgVHWa8UeNP6m5HIsYTX-mId5Goc8pXySV8d7s90/s1600-h/sideboard%252520fall%2525202013%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="sideboard fall 2013" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="sideboard fall 2013" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-O7px8B-7jfc/Usxy4ptJ-6I/AAAAAAAAJNY/7vdpqzy3LRI/sideboard%252520fall%2525202013_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="406" height="280"></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-O2co2kV_1WM/Usxy5Xte6dI/AAAAAAAAJNg/Xi03wmwqc_w/s1600-h/fall%2525202013%252520home%252520kitchen%252520mantel%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="fall 2013 home kitchen mantel" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="fall 2013 home kitchen mantel" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOgZcxSMLw9i2i0zXysm9i8LqSNuVW8WcToT0BNxE_RzHO0YQ5XgELzQ0NmzLgHBZtUbB5rBtd6ZWb8TIBOf3PGdV_fsMtnrh4WrT_T5UdT7BTwjHdgz_AIrJItTEbe-PiFdLWq0DXsM/?imgmax=800" width="380" height="308"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNnO_7dRLzikTto1lvtDb3HhYqB1ztbSaHOaoKvZ-KrfBM8QrrXszDfC8HSGuz1wNX4t8ePdKEwpxTAt0kTA-daTYAOz2ZPCpluvuZaZFWaG5Ofg3bgKsD7lAApollC1PhFLyvEdP6Sw/s1600-h/fall%2525202013%252520home%252520NS%252520pumpkins%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="fall 2013 home NS pumpkins" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="fall 2013 home NS pumpkins" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0KBe6cTbK_0/Usxy8s9LJHI/AAAAAAAAJN4/NzZox052x9k/fall%2525202013%252520home%252520NS%252520pumpkins_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="415" height="285"></a></p> Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-16873563739183578672014-01-07T10:51:00.001-08:002014-01-07T10:51:00.629-08:00“Falling” Productive<p><em>This is the column I wrote for The Leaf Chronicle, which appeared in the Sunday, Oct 20, 2013 edition.</em> <p>As I sat down at the computer to write my column for this week, I posted my confession on facebook. I was there (on facebook) and elsewhere looking for inspiration. I had several suggestions for topics for my article, but mostly just some friends aiding and abetting my delinquency. I did have one friend who made a suggestion which was along the lines of what I was thinking already, so Ruta, here you go . . . <p>I am finding, as I usually do this time of year, that I am rather productive. There is something about fall that motivates me; even the rainy days. I’ll take a rainy day in October over a sunny day in August every time! Perhaps it is the cooler weather, the fresh breeze blowing through the shop and the house or the excitement of the coming season. Whatever the reason, it seems to come in the nick-of-time each year. <p>At the shop, I’ve finally started clearing out some of the “stuff” I’ve allowed to accumulate over the years. I’m boxing up some of my creative supplies to take home or donate. I’ve found I don’t have a lot of time for creative activities while at work—well, at least not this type of creativity. This will have the added benefit of clearing some shelves so we can lay-out our Christmas inventory and get it ready to move to the floor in a few weeks; yes, I’m sorry . . . I’m a retailer. <p>At home, I’ve been trying to accomplish some of the same. I’ve got a donate box, a storage box and the trashcan! As I transition to my fall décor, it is the perfect time to do a little weeding. Of course, this is a slower process than at the store; things are pretty clear cut there—get it on the floor to sell, donate it or throw it away. At the house I slow down. There’s so much more to consider. I’ve got children getting ready to move out of the house—eventually—so I have to consider things which might be useful in their first apartments. <p>Then, of course, I have to consider the Antiques Road Show. I know you know what I mean. You’re looking at that pitcher that Aunt Ethel gave you for your wedding. You’ve never used it—not even to hold flowers. This time it’s getting donated, but . . . as you place it in the box you notice the marking on the bottom. What does that say? “W. Germany.” Then you’re thinking, <i>where did I hear something about that</i>? If there is a “W” that clearly means is once belonged to the former President, right??? No, that wasn’t it. Think. Right, it means “West Germany.” That place no longer exists! I’ll bet it’s worth something! Wouldn’t that be a shame to donate it, to later watch as some stranger shows-up on the Antiques Road Show with the pitcher Aunt Ethel so thoughtfully chose for you? <p>So, umm, yeah. Back to how productive I’ve been. <p>While my daydreams tend to gain some footing, I still feel like I’ve made great strides at the shop and at home. I’ve been slowly adding decorative fall accents throughout the house; they will be firmly in place until after Thanksgiving. Christmas does not encroach on our orderly observation of holidays at the house. (Heck, I’m lucky to have the tree decorated by December 25<sup>th</sup>!) <p>Since I like to share ideas for transitional décor you might want to use in your own home, I’ll close by sharing a picture of the mantel in our dining room. This is one of my favorite places to focus our seasonal décor for several reasons. It is the first room I see when I walk out of our bedroom, it is where we do most of our entertaining and I can also see it from the room where I spend most of my waking hours—the kitchen. <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-nJXuplR0Kx8/UsxMjg-YKaI/AAAAAAAAJLs/lcxh58V_wTU/s1600-h/fall%2525202013%252520home%252520DR%252520early%252520fall%252520%2525281024x596%252529%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="fall 2013 home DR early fall (1024x596)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="fall 2013 home DR early fall (1024x596)" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-gRkkO4T0XjY/UsxMklRElaI/AAAAAAAAJLw/9Meo9cYaDIY/fall%2525202013%252520home%252520DR%252520early%252520fall%252520%2525281024x596%252529_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="460" height="280"></a> <p>Several weeks ago, I was ready to remove the summer accents I had used to adorn it for the season, but not quite ready for Indian corn and pumpkins, so I decided to add some items that would carry through until Thanksgiving, while giving a nod to the fading summer days. I started with a few books stacked on their side—choosing those with colors that reflected my transitional theme. Then I added brown pillar candles and a hand decorated emergency candle (similar to the one I gave instructions for last week), as well as a few rusty iron accents. The final touch—the hydrangeas I dried a few weeks ago. I left them in the aqua ball jars, because the colors worked so well with the shades of blues and greens in the hydrangeas. I loved this display so much, I was hesitant to take it down for my full-blown autumn mantel, but I do look forward to using the dried blooms again next year. <p>Next week, I’ll share more pictures of my home and how I decorate for this most wonderful time of year. Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-60824444902332498612013-10-21T10:05:00.001-07:002013-10-21T11:15:33.447-07:00UpCycling an Emergency Candle<em>This is the column I wrote for The Leaf Chronicle, which appeared in the Sunday, Oct 18, 2013 edition.</em> <br />
Time for another “how to” House Arrest column. <br />
First, though, I want to throw-out a reminder about a great event coming up this week. It’s one of my favorite inspiration sources, but I’ve been known to do a <i>little</i> shopping, too. The Hayloft at Port Royal is starting this Thursday, with a preview night and continues through Saturday. These barns sales have become enormously popular across the nation and I am so glad that Shirley and Knox have brought one to Clarksville. Not only is the event wonderful for those of us who like to shop, it’s also great for the local economy. Folks travel from far and near to set-up as vendors, as well as shop; many travelers will stay in our hotels, eat at our restaurants and put gas in their cars. In the words or Ms. Martha, “it’s a good thing.” <br />
Today, I’m going to share instructions for upcycling an emergency candle into a decorative accessory for fall. Actually, this project can be adapted to the season, but today I’ll teach you the basics and you can “jump” from here. <br />
The list:<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ph-vUeJQNxU/UmVeuXPUkBI/AAAAAAAAI38/qovGLNhu1ho/s1600-h/supplies%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="supplies" border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKS-dpXAg2S6oBG1Q0FfXq9Gwcgxe9E9KlOp5lvzlhh9SqQdBJUCU7NbvWnaxp7k1y8YSjTiIRYHSaZDtwU28ok6f7OwAQjXHClFVq5cOkZgaTVV3CBvTlL7Ah7mO8jLT9T9fh9sj_aC0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="supplies" width="244" /></a> <br />
8” emergency candle in glass <br />
Scrap of burlap <br />
Scrap of muslin or other cotton fabric <br />
Rubber stamp with a “background” print (I used one with a script pattern) <br />
Rubber stamping ink pad (I use brown ink) <br />
Raffia <br />
Oats, mini-Indian corn, acorns—anything fall-ish <br />
Rubber bands <br />
Mod Podge® <br />
Foam paint brush <br />
Those well labeled “fabric only” scissors <br />
1. Cut your burlap into a 9 x 7 rectangle—pull threads to fringe one of the long sides. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-oYxI7ddCaC0TSRW7c2u1XChQwbBDZ8Lw7rtVZixO9AzttTkbqepk72h-zzdYTFV8qTamLWTkxbVSS7fdeF9L4xzAtwKkzyDsZTqNn3DnWEZDaf5OmE8toLeEAk51rT8I8_h5s0TZ-c/s1600-h/glue%252520burlap%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img alt="glue burlap" border="0" height="428" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-cf0J04xsXYQ/UmVex6plXAI/AAAAAAAAI4Q/VGQwUVzekDI/glue%252520burlap_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="glue burlap" width="281" /></a> <br />
2. Coat the glass of the candle with a generous layer of Mod Podge®; slip on a couple rubber bands while glue dries. <br />
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3. Tear a 5” wide length of the cotton fabric (I used flour sack cloth); I tore a long piece because I planned to make a lot of these candles. (You can cut the fabric, but tearing gave the appearance I wanted.)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyg2Y768ouFFNylpVIy05TZostmhw4Lz5sLBgt87KwZNWficDl8rEpQQApvHPyc7ddlgMG1UNa72sCVQ-0sirfJ6a802YZnBL-xn0CXQEnVHAdhUE7FWTEX2R8RA3GcbjoxabdK5O0Kk/s1600-h/plain%252520cotton%252520%252528800x533%252529%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="plain cotton (800x533)" border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhMgxX1CFNl1bnBPG5UsIWbdCMRRqAu_8D-N4slC5_7FMwaA9cf9-QOWnlx7Y0Do4ilEJf9AVZfsR5lAg1LtkvSzfVWYXM3BAa9YApOHSIfAWOlG7gGy4hb0gwCsaTt9Q8YZkv9JU55w/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="plain cotton (800x533)" width="436" /></a> <br />
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4. Use rubberstamp and stamp pad to apply a pattern onto the cotton fabric; allow to dry completely. Cut a length of the fabric to 8”. Attach the stamped fabric to the burlap, using the Mod Podge®. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GZEK40JFIJ46SyqNU2T_0W-inTsafVS1RBkR6-MdjXUjTq-8l9scycIpJkHledGdGAeJmNQDBJnAARvwtuh5xjmq4VvH3nE2XHOe4QKsA03WBfTou4zKmsulr8cL_xh3EJmblBhjL8s/s1600-h/stamped%252520cotton%252520%252528800x534%252529%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img alt="stamped cotton (800x534)" border="0" height="296" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hsyjlPryzRk/UmVe0S9liQI/AAAAAAAAI40/UXZR6SRjmek/stamped%252520cotton%252520%252528800x534%252529_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="stamped cotton (800x534)" width="429" /></a> <br />
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5. Cut a length of raffia, at least 18” long. Wrap it around the candle, securing with a square knot. (left over right and under, right over left and under—pull tight). <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9Y1CjxBGkfo/UmVe1Z4qgMI/AAAAAAAAI48/u4ZoBtsnm14/s1600-h/cottong%252520wrap%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img alt="cottong wrap" border="0" height="306" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-aSwR_3QKpLg/UmVe1333r2I/AAAAAAAAI5A/fxD4YN4Exxc/cottong%252520wrap_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="cottong wrap" width="194" /></a> <br />
6. Now here is where you can introduce various elements of fall, by adding your choice of accent. Use a strand or two of the raffia to attach a mini-bunch of wheat/oats, a tiny wreath and acorn or an Indian corn. I am sure you can think of other accents, as well. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFrRL8R86eoHts6l-BHy2-AcbDZMdDHUrQig2jrsMfXZiTdtndlS3PavwqU83wzjwLS9G7-Mi1QQwkhcgMQawFlThHGq-TJoEuA-gQm-LPlUBMQg9p1f6GHM4ECg6diUpvQIHr3yyIEA/s1600-h/corn%252520candle%252520%252528559x800%252529%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="corn candle (559x800)" border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJlhAc1og2qyR1Y4vEQ7yxeMtVCtGjKJhoXyenPDMSEmYTA6E8N6nf6uf7VG6flvA4l-hCsnaCeSomNwBU2QtHuYzKaQPfgsUTlvO_EMwysVBJ0DHb0Hxx4TAN2Yi0d0c00AC2wDxNRc/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="corn candle (559x800)" width="186" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1I29g70ZE8P5HxIewQ9esz7-3-2fKM-9D8KhPVA9tkAyZPNEG3DEOJWw0vbI9IsWqYlTAvkI9ydbW17EGmxf_IStkslqWRUT1YLOB1ygFtgCPpmLo7vWqlCWVId52spfmjC3GHXWBuIc/s1600-h/wreath%252520candle%252520%252528533x800%252529%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="wreath candle (533x800)" border="0" height="308" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-aD0FTR-d0cw/UmVe4Zs48XI/AAAAAAAAI5g/LPW07prjHEQ/wreath%252520candle%252520%252528533x800%252529_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="wreath candle (533x800)" width="196" /></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-hkoBZns_N14/UmVe5EbYd8I/AAAAAAAAI5o/--_CQGgRV-4/s1600-h/wheat%252520candle%252520%252528462x800%252529%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="wheat candle (462x800)" border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglj3eJFp0YpAuo-L_OSjw5dxs4vlIljJ6enJAK9hSd62dUNIYuvL0sJYOGQ6kIlp9QJimXvzxJaElk_B2gTrZ5GgU7mmZzYPgjBVvSJWwO44E1idl3o-FsjZffQY8d6juTrKFJqV4BCjc/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="wheat candle (462x800)" width="156" /></a> <br />
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As I mentioned, this is an easily adapted project for any season. The candles are very affordable and the glass makes it ideal for decorating. I hope you enjoy your candles. <br />
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<br />Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-829296548693863282013-10-07T14:14:00.001-07:002013-10-07T14:14:33.020-07:00Retiring Thoughts<p><em>This is the column I wrote for The Leaf Chronicle which was originally published on Oct 6, 2013.</em> <p>Last week I was fortunate enough to steal away for a long weekend with my husband, so we traveled south to visit friends in Fort Walton Beach, FL. This is our fourth time visiting them in two years, which is a lot for us; between the business and my husband’s jobs we just don’t get away much. By comparison, however, we have traveled to see these friends with more frequency than any others and not just because they have a house on the water (wink, wink). The truth is that neither of us are really “Florida people,” but we love the Florida people we go to see. <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMDXWs7jqsnvNoqCt_U_m1p0Zj3ggktRXGUuN73kQpzk9a6kPvFsLyx0clNIWyBk8F7OF5ZGnju1VD_x13H4OVaeJRRvP-3W-Yd3_B4N4oOvqOaKcWJBGh4iX-ChwdAdkNz8gA0REwBM/s1600-h/IMG_1036%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1036" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_1036" align="right" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-J_-xHrOF-5g/UlMj9Iz9hOI/AAAAAAAAIt0/hqiGKUYvH7s/IMG_1036_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-JVAfBmS8qLM/UlMj-Di9xGI/AAAAAAAAIuA/0Bkwx9nldYw/s1600-h/IMG_1037%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1037" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_1037" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBpfVCD7G_HrEHq7bAUvxZ3EkkZIZSvuK0MSH6icaUAtT1JmhEgcTr1YEWZlH9GREl0fykTGIO5bCCe2dvvi91qIoqsQh0pCpv4ob7T_XJyvkLPmRlrBtV2IbTgAlqF7O7UiOXUny5o0/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p>When we met at college in NC, we both agreed that neither of us were very fond of the idea of living in the other’s home town. My husband is from Pompano Beach, FL and I’m from Fairfax, VA. Florida is too hot for me and has too few seasons; Fairfax is too congested and expensive for him. <p>Shortly after graduating, we married and my husband joined the Army, so we’ve lived wherever Uncle Sam suggested. Virginia and Florida never made the list. Landing here in Clarksville has been a great blessing and we feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to purchase our dream home and become entrenched in a community. Any subsequent thoughts of retirement have featured our old house. <p>We’ve always thought our retirement plans would involve the eastern shore of Virginia. It has been our number one vacation destination for years and years, but now we plan for vacations in the Florida panhandle. What the heck is going on here?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKA7hU4WbfZ9tUqspLNsCJ_ywIKSoPh8NgbacL7kCJ3I3OI9rNmJvfEGMPK0N3z8Tj6oKWCN4mLlIswDIlpPgFeL4u64yFh0iJNqLh1jmJ3lL8NTNo5mf3hbUifFwhEXHIEXfgtAyz0c/s1600-h/summer%252520vaca%2525202013%252520141%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="summer vaca 2013 141" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="summer vaca 2013 141" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wqbCZXNEBTY/UlMkAo2ZsMI/AAAAAAAAIuY/tyirxebeVTQ/summer%252520vaca%2525202013%252520141_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="467" height="329"></a> <p align="center"><em>Darren on the beach in Coles Point, VA</em> <p>Well, I haven’t completely figured it out, but I’ve pieced together a couple factors to consider. Number one on the list of considerations: What do you do when you get there? I mean “long term,” not during a week-long vacation. Those vacations on the eastern shore are wonderful, but they are low key. We don’t do much, because there isn’t much to do; which is great for a week, but any longer than that and I’ll go nuts. <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CcmvLMZeYjc/UlMkBh5AUhI/AAAAAAAAIug/UjTK5ddNCFM/s1600-h/159%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="159" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="159" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXvJ5TjpOm5wGJh4I6B_YsubEdCvUQVkHi113AFm7SfXXFcnauL1Iqn10U5ND96h6_QIPJlku_dluzq0GpNZDdMkX6RWCE9Oa4GqTbKlZkAOGK8Vuq4Vj_qIs6BgTI5ExOWIRtRrrDss/?imgmax=800" width="493" height="352"></a> <p align="center"><em></em> </p> <p align="center"><em></em> </p> <p align="center"><em></em> </p> <p align="center"><em></em> </p> <p align="center"><em></em> </p> <p align="center"><em></em> </p> <p align="center"><em></em> </p> <p align="center"><em></em> </p> <p align="center"><em></em> </p> <p align="center"><em></em> </p> <p align="center"><em>It takes a lot of this . . . (above), to get to this . . .(below).</em></p> <p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHv6MPe-k3TUvCPZ_M7kap3Vz7qxQMwAevvPgRAc5X_klBOIkWuKy9CDSIsGWuQKmY74jg941GukqXGIPKgGFqp3qf7RSjMIo36Cw4N4kgqjLrZnBN9MfRE3u3CiPoKOXwad9LGX_lUrI/s1600-h/247%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="247" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="247" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mqA1SZK4Vuo/UlMkEDo9iqI/AAAAAAAAIu4/nQzpiNKcIBQ/247_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="427" height="295"></a> <p align="center"><em>Bill and Darren doing what they do best; Haedyn, too, for that matter.</em> <p align="center"> <p align="left">Next consideration: the weather. The climate was my number one reason for putting the kibosh on Florida so many years ago. I need some variations in temperatures—hot being my least favorite. While I love the change of seasons, I really do enjoy being on the water; in a month or two you won’t be taking a boat out on the Chesapeake Bay unless it is your job. We were on the Choctawhatchee Bay in the middle of January last year. So, as much as we love the Virginia eastern shore, the window of water enjoyment time is really about 5 - 6 months; in the Bay area of Florida, you can hit the water year round. <p>(Can’t you just see that metaphorical scale tipping?) <p>One seemingly minor consideration, but worth adding to the list: the seasonable weather during months with “r’s” in them. Oysters taste better while seated at an outdoor table and outdoor dining on the Virginia coast in during the months of November – April is almost unheard of. Further, both areas have oysters, but the fresh oysters available in Florida are ginormous. <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FtQKnKmzkp4/UlMkFV3xuFI/AAAAAAAAIvA/tsM4Q5J6P3E/s1600-h/2013-06-07%25252018.06.05%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-06-07 18.06.05" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2013-06-07 18.06.05" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-O_YzLSJZ_yM/UlMkF5p9twI/AAAAAAAAIvI/sGmIa5rkWnU/2013-06-07%25252018.06.05_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="435" height="300"></a> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqXLo1MBXddGJIH9KkVralL9oLorRdhqikez4CmXvhhDqZvYVrnB6NK8qpHTcXRTYeVAyxgwN3GtMsuKUZYnETQxIXJwK-VF87ma31WQo1WYyLivTO9ZnOsHWMiaRlsdjuetnsTRwOAE/s1600-h/2013-06-07%25252018.06.06%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-06-07 18.06.06" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-06-07 18.06.06" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-tYxyDpXkP2Q/UlMkHg4dPGI/AAAAAAAAIvY/pJyjUVVQsYA/2013-06-07%25252018.06.06_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="462" height="319"></a> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p align="center"><em>Some JP Penney poses as we arrive at the Dockside Grill in FL.</em> <p>The biggest factor weighing in this new found fondness for the sunshine state is reality. The reality is we cannot afford two households. So, when we make the decision about where to retire, it is there we will be. No weekend houses or summer homes for us. <p> <p>Fortunately, however, this is not a decision for anytime in the immediate future. We’ve still got a high school student we need to push through and some college tuition to take care of, a few house repairs to tend to and so on. Suffice to say that I look forward to seeing you Wednesday mornings when I’m taking advantage of my senior citizen discounts at Kroger on Madison Street; be sure to stop me and say, “Hi!” <p><em>(Of course, none of it matters without this . . .)</em> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1EevTlykIoA/UlMkIpfhsII/AAAAAAAAIvg/kivR_q98KRU/s1600-h/2013-06-07%25252017.23.16%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-06-07 17.23.16" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2013-06-07 17.23.16" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TKcyKuHsB-E/UlMkJNa3VOI/AAAAAAAAIvo/DE8sd13yoQs/2013-06-07%25252017.23.16_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="348" height="240"></a> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsibRCOvBKcjvulJYMbdNQm9PL5W1Y6Eu1x_7rG5dcsCXynveGVUPE5JlX4Atw3mCH6iEDXgH2WK9101jZefVKj2ErgUtOj-5NXk3XzUKF1KiwMkuDOqnWSUjaTuLmRUAKUuH_3QuI8k/s1600-h/001%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="001" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="001" align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-x4sAkpMMrTo/UlMkLGrYnII/AAAAAAAAIv0/Miq-rxdsDDA/001_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9k6xhdSw_RQV-8DOG0CA3SB_OHKUIPPgHRZOp9oEcoOwRenSfEzlPCRiST5RUfk8c0f7ru1ZEK_M1E8AKaA5eH_N7beeUDFQBbLPmT05yyKrjTOD3SwKnqbg5v6halNSVLFg7BocPuWY/s1600-h/153%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="153" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="153" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi632nUX6Sz-taTt7hlT7K7lddSXLiBeGRhkfAqQQJSl0RxbCkjsuxxBFqVaALqIweEkOw49ts501lxtQnJA2CTCfSlT2rj8r0eNdUWNXZFzDUraKGaUr5RZx2gimRwTmEeTfngHoG6MQE/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a></p> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-IH3vWAcwfPk/UlMkNHVuDrI/AAAAAAAAIwQ/PtZtVOHkljo/s1600-h/140%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="140" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="140" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiG3TW6lT8UqQsKvTtwX0jUyN71NTGSNExW8TUSyzh3X7HXaI8fWPaAJh7-wtonFHNq0CJnuAisZDX67qK6sxy1NMVZHoF9v0Vhe3xIkh24xym2Qhw4oMQpa8UfBVnKKBNGcDxRIG4kFw/?imgmax=800" width="400" height="309"></a> Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-39796583836224147612013-10-07T13:35:00.001-07:002013-10-07T13:35:40.178-07:00PPRP not for wimps<p><em>This is the column I wrote for The Leaf Chronicle which originally published on Sep 29, 2013.</em> <p>I have no idea what came over me, but earlier this week I started cutting, pulling and digging in my front flower beds. I thought I’d take advantage of the rain we had recently had, by pulling weeds. (By the way—how long did it take me to figure out that it is easier to pull weeds after a good rain?) Then, next thing I knew, I had the wheelbarrow out, loading it with transplants, as well as several loads of an unidentified, but very prolific tall, leafy perennial—bound for the dump. <p>If memory serves, I actually ordered that plant when we first moved to Dog Hill. I love tall plants in my garden and the description for this beast must have fit the bill. Well, about 10 years later, having completely forgotten its name, transplanted it and given it away (sounding familiar), I have decided—it’s got to go. Now is the time of year it produces its tiny white, dandelion puff-like flowers, so I had to act quickly.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeazmOXcgIXyZUp6EOQU0W6C9JV_4hHloU8NCPY1ARlBdBechbbMLbyShoTEWFHz3wk3JwrhBG6D4dvBQT9fKAEqn4aEl6HG9IoYMBK6q9_740nJR9N8tvCVkxYrDsCRaZfW1p8NqQ14/s1600-h/before%252520front%252520garden%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="before front garden" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="before front garden" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-L__wDvGQ57Y/UlMbEaq2LdI/AAAAAAAAItQ/QF-fbSPurks/before%252520front%252520garden_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="482" height="347"></a> <p align="center">before <p>I grabbed the shovel and started digging down to remove the root and all. Hours later—with a few other plants entered into our PPRP (Paige’s Perennial Relocation Program)—I think I’ve got them down to a few single-stems located throughout our yard, as well as our neighbors. <p>And now, a word about qualifying for PPRP. This isn’t a program suited for all perennials. No—PRP is for survivors. To be selected for PRP, you must have a growth rate which requires a slide rule for tracking. Other qualifications include: the ability to survive with minimal attention/pruning/grooming; the ability to look fairly decent for at least a few weeks out of the year (thus justifying the effort the caretaker will put into moving you); and finally, you must grab hold of your new soil with very little encouragement from your caretaker. <p>You see, by the time I’ve decided to relocate or just divide a perennial, my sparkler of enthusiasm for gardening is starting to fizzle. I’m not sure why, but it’s usually the last thing I do before I quit for the day; I’m exhausted, sweaty and itchy. So, the last thing I want to do it dig a hole, loosen the soil and water a plant I am, at this point, wondering why I ever planted. At best, I will remove approximately three inches of the soil (which is usually mostly mulch), drop the plant into the shallow crevice and head for the shower with nary a backwards glance. <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9QnJ8LVtU223MVEQDzgK4laKAdpwVtRXlroYFoEjwNm0GQiTmoX0Ns1EdsXhCeIx13G8j-rpriSkgBgjzumRQDWWZlOHOmqz4JhRgdxIxDuUH8SfSge57H1vIkVzOlPA9gaKFH7CmXs/s1600-h/after%25252C%252520front%252520porch%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="after, front porch" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="after, front porch" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Gqn7z7KaebQ/UlMbGkdWUaI/AAAAAAAAItg/aiRBPwnUXVc/after%25252C%252520front%252520porch_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="474" height="313"></a> <p align="center">after <p>Believe me when I tell you, however, you would be surprised at the hardiness of those plants which have survived the rigors of the PPRP; many of which have been the subject of previous diatribes—namely, Lamb’s Ear and Asters. Sunday’s victim, however, was relocated to the dump pile. Perhaps it was because we’re not on a first name basis; perhaps it was the audacity it demonstrated by jumping into pots and across the yard into other gardens; perhaps it is the fact that I know—even though I think I pulled it all up—fluffy, little, white seeds are currently waiting for spring to pop-up and declare their survivor status. <p><em>Writer’s notes: Yesterday, a friend at church told me she knew what the plant in question is actually a weed! She has done battle with it in her own garden and was so frustrated by it, her husband took a sample to our local university for identification. They told her it is a Mulberry weed. I googled it today and she is right on the money! Here’s a <a href="http://thepapershell.com/summer-weeds-mulberry-weed/">blog</a> I found about it.</em> Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-12915918684182333462013-10-07T12:18:00.001-07:002013-10-07T12:18:34.626-07:00Strong Backs and My Weak Mind<p><em>This is my column for The Leaf Chronicle which was originally published Sep 22, 2013.</em> <p>Time to write the column. <p>Don’t worry; this will not be another scary dive into my not-to-sub-conscience. Yet, I do feel I need to acknowledge all of the emails, Tweets and face-to-face commentary from my numerous kindred spirits. It is wonderful to know I am in such great company, especially when it comes to my occasional struggles with focus. I am glad you enjoyed last week’s column. <p>This past week I have been all about fall decorating. The shop has commanded most of my attention, but I’ve made a few changes around the house, as well. We are in the process of a few house repairs and improvements, which have my mind and time somewhat preoccupied. <p>About a month ago, I wrote about the fact that we—by “we” I mean “my husband”—wanted to extend our patio walkway down the side of our house so it would link to our front porch. I was not very keen on this idea, but I decided that I could at least appear to give his idea some thought before I squashed it like the ground under a cherry picker. <p>Which brings me to the reason there is a new walkway in our side yard—the ground which was squashed under a cherry picker. Oops, I mean, “man lift;” and while we’re on that, why “man lift?” Shouldn’t it be “person lift?” Okay—squashed ground—the area where we installed this new walkway was the site of a gazillion ton person lift making 20-point adjustment turns for two weeks. The lawn in that area suffered considerably; not that it ever produced the thickest, most durable grass. So I decided that the new pathway might be a good idea after all. <p>Enter the young, healthy backs of the guys we hired to relocate the dirt and lay the new walkway. They arrived eager and ready to get the job done. Three days later, when they are still trying to break through the gravel and occasional outcropping of concrete, they seemed a little less eager and frankly, a little deflated. It appears that the area we had chosen for our walkway extension was exactly where a gravel driveway had once been located. <p>This is when it comes to me . . . that herb garden I planted the first year we moved into our house is located along the same path and I now recall the difficulty I had digging the bed for that garden. (In my defense, I can’t remember why I walked into the pantry instead of the laundry room this morning either.) My only explanation is one akin to child birth; no new projects would be tackled in our old house if we were actually able to recall how difficult the last one was. <p>Of course, my husband is the guy who laid the rest of our pathway and patio, not me. Perhaps he did <i>not-so-sub-consciously</i> recall encountering the gravel, which is why he suggested that I engage a contractor to do this portion of the walkway. Hmm. <p>Anyhoo, this is where I eat my words and admit, though I begrudgingly gave into the idea of the pathway extension, I l-o-v-e it; or rather will, l-o-v-e it, when I can plant around it. My husband is still working on painting on this side of our house and there is no point in planting a bunch of flowers to be crushed by ladders and size 11.5 work boots. <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--lYHTNS9aTk/UlMJBusMeWI/AAAAAAAAIsw/HUz7zyx5crE/s1600-h/walkway%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="walkway" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="walkway" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-p6nTg8_43nc/UlMJCOMKooI/AAAAAAAAIs4/0VtKqPEImak/walkway_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="402" height="357"></a> <p>In the meantime, I will use strategically placed potted ferns and mums (see how I pulled it back around to fall decorating?) to distract my eyes from the bare ground. Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-81830172751896435752013-10-07T11:56:00.001-07:002013-10-07T11:56:57.394-07:00Jiminy says, “I tried.”<p><em>This is the column I wrote for The Leaf Chronicle, which published on Sep 15, 2013.</em> <p>Writer’s note: Every now and again, I just have to write what is really going on; the struggle of my internal “Jiminy Cricket vs. Paige-nochio.” <p><i>Sit down. Calm your thoughts. Write.</i> <p><i>You have a lot to get done today, so go ahead and write your column, you can then spend the rest of the day (God willing) working with customers and on your fall displays.</i> <p>You have the best ideas. Let’s get started. <p>Let me just open a word document . . . wait a minute, what’s that? “Someone” left Facebook open and, look, Rebecca Townsend has written a <a href="http://www.standintheirboots.com/blog-posts/life-since-91101/">new blog</a>. I’ll just read that quickly—who knows, it may spark a thought for my article . . . <p>. . . Well, that was a beautifully written commentary on our National Day of Remembrance for the tragedies, bravery and sacrifices of September 11, 2001; poignant and personal. Rebecca has done so much for this community (especially our service members and their families) and doesn’t even give herself credit for it. I should write her a note—now, before I forget. <p><i>Okay. That’s done. Get busy.</i> <p>How can you expect me to work with the desk such a mess? <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPtmReTwi96PJfT12ccJX3MCoA0zhrXc5CNQDAnhrLtFnDlTdriObKT-K5BUf3kcaY8YUxOdGfFn0JZjvRO1J5QY3QBF3qQwYN3F3ssilYJTB7NRWDPSdjd0b_OUZsazHIkkeITyE_h4/s1600-h/messy%252520desk%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="messy desk" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="messy desk" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_AFNNvXfOrM/UlMD8jdsghI/AAAAAAAAIsM/7t5B9rvkMAM/messy%252520desk_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a> <p><i>Are you kidding me? If you take the time to clean this desk it will turn into the Gilligan’s Island equivalent of the “three hours cruise.” Mayhem and mishap are sure to follow and you will be frantically trying to think of something to write about 8 hours from now. In all actuality, you will likely only have succeeded restacking your paperwork into reasonably neater piles.</i> <p>“Hi. I’m Melissa, your sales rep from Two’s Company,” says the peppy young lady walking through the door. <p><i>Dang it, Paige. You started the day by going to a non-existent appointment you failed to confirm; now you realize you forgot about scheduling this one. Well, there goes two hours.</i> <p>I’m ready to write. I think I’ll tell folks about the extension we’ve added to our walkway. It is looking great. Hey, it’s Jimmy my UPS delivery guy. Ooh, he’s bringing me new inventory. I wonder what it is.<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-K3XCUxAPg2Y/UlMD9v9yWTI/AAAAAAAAIsY/WMZr3S1z-0I/s1600-h/boxes%252520and%252520ouija%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="boxes and ouija" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="boxes and ouija" align="right" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-yozMiP84wZ0/UlMD-CFhB_I/AAAAAAAAIsc/tO6sCfCJ7ec/boxes%252520and%252520ouija_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="218" height="356"></a> <p><i>Stop right there missy! You know dang well it’s full of scarves—you saw the invoice yesterday. Get back to writing and you can open it as soon as you click “send.”</i> <p>So, that walkway I mentioned a little over a month ago—well, it is finally under construction. I had a friend, Martha, who showed me pictures of the similar paths in her parents’ yard. Oh yeah, that reminds me, I need to call Parks and Rec to tell them about the lights that are out on the Upland Trail. <p><i>Unbelievable. We will never get this done. And stop looking at those boxes. </i> <p>I really don’t think this is going to go anywhere. I should wait to write about the new walkway when it is done and I can share pictures. <p><i>So what you’re now admitting is that this stream of consciousness blather was a way to trick yourself into writing something without actually writing about anything.</i> <p>I am not prepared to say that was my intent at the onset, as I really hoped I’d hit upon something along the way. Then I could go back and delete all of the “blather” and edit myself into a coherent presentation. <p><i>Oh hold on just one minute . . . you “coherent;” when, if ever? You’ve got people who are actually going to try to muddle through this nonsense. What do you have to show them?</i> <p>Well, I shared a kind word with someone very deserving. I found an invoice I’d been looking for and hopefully, I won’t be walking in the dark tomorrow morning! Now, leave me alone, I’ve got boxes to open. <p><i>All I ask is you go back to the beginning and at least warn the readers so they can make an informed decision to waste 10 minutes of their day. Oh and make sure they know I am the voice of reason.</i> Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-22765352509735159692013-10-07T11:48:00.001-07:002013-10-07T11:48:06.843-07:00A Harvest Banner How-to<p><em>This is the column I wrote for The Leaf Chronicle which was published on Sep 8, 2013.</em> <p>Well, I’ll bet you had a hard time sleeping last night as you eagerly anticipated this promised “how to make a pennant banner” article. Thank goodness your sleepless nights are over, ‘cause here it is. <p>I hope this is something you’re as interested in as, apparently, I am. I say “apparently,” because as I was pulling out some of my fall decorations for the house, I came across another pennant banner I made for my Thanksgiving mantel décor. I then I started mentally listing all of the banners I’ve made: “Grateful” for Thanksgiving; “Gloria” for Christmas; the banner of vintage photos of kids in their snow outfits for winter; “America” with crinkled crepe paper fans for the Fourth of July. It was there that I discontinued my mental list, but I think I’ve demonstrated my affinity for this quick-and-easy to make decorative accent. <p>If you think you’d like to make one as pictured here, the supplies you will need are: <p>Cardstock (color of your choice, I used parchment) <p>Burlap <p>Letter stencils <p>Acrylic paint <p>Sponge wedge or foam paint brush <p>Glue <p>Jute twine <p>Hole punch <p>Reinforcement stickers <p>Optional—trim materials, such as lace and accent materials, such as raffia <p>1. Cut your base triangles from the card stock. I use 11 x 8.5” cardstock and am able to get three pennants out of one sheet. (photo A)<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-eVru4uJ-k6k/UlMBvAKYjVI/AAAAAAAAIqU/whLNmQS-F54/s1600-h/base%252520triangle%252520pattern%252520%2525281024x683%252529%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="base triangle pattern (1024x683)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="base triangle pattern (1024x683)" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1nQPVb9m5hY4m8OVrVbN9_DH9fEznff76MHP8cV1wc1rzJ-OHN4kSxHzMcygFs2nNo1t6Nt1c6Z64hBD6zPX2dsxYgC_1U6tw5_pvjXFtozGFbralZYYQulxXnqENq-o-c98qpq628w/?imgmax=800" width="390" height="269"></a> <p>2. Cut seven pennant triangles. Punch a hole in each of the top (short edge) corners. <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p>3. Cut a template for a triangle about ½” smaller overall. (I cut one extra of my base triangles, folded it in half—lengthwise—and cut ½” from the short and long sides.)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-U8MAjD5AS5iSnkSx7ctfFkgBDedocgTJoPjyS4ozSNG_KgrYvrsVyYN-tW2IM14Wr2rkiRQojdCnxXy1ouvxTVm4MC8jX2OdU9yFJz9Zdbl0r9cuRGjD3HEfpOvUYqNjhZ4kt1ZFwA/s1600-h/2013-09-04%25252014.43.10%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-09-04 14.43.10" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-09-04 14.43.10" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mgHiczRp9kQ/UlMBxLDOaTI/AAAAAAAAIqk/Ug6VHAQfc9M/2013-09-04%25252014.43.10_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="397" height="274"></a> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p>4. Use this smaller template to trace seven triangles onto your burlap and cut them. (Let me say here and now—treat yourself to one good pair of fabric scissors. Do not allow anyone to use them on anything—even if they say they need it for fabric—they are lying to you and preparing to go cut a coaxial cable. I am sure of it. I have a pair at the shop and at home—both have “warning” tags on them assuring of a variety of pains that await the perpetrator if I catch them being used on anything other than fabric. So far, the threats have not had to be acted upon. So far.) <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-NJp5tt3UcNQ/UlMByiy8PqI/AAAAAAAAIq0/-TTgwSrjpU4/s1600-h/burlap%252520pattern%252520%2525281024x684%252529%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="burlap pattern (1024x684)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="burlap pattern (1024x684)" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uTftCZS0U9c/UlMBzW6GA_I/AAAAAAAAIq4/XMDJmtMeZOs/burlap%252520pattern%252520%2525281024x684%252529_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="390" height="269"></a> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p>5. Back to our pennant banner. <p>6. Pour a little of your paint (I used Traditional Raw Umber acrylic) on a plate. Center your H stencil on the burlap triangle. Dip the sponge into the paint (do not overload paint), then holding the stencil in place, tamp the paint into the stencil and violá—only A-R-V-E-S and T to go!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qfXL1HeLbXZnHzWhLoprEZsmuAh6iRpXAiqxkMAvomK-KP_4VrDTEZFSqC8hmW3itOSrIepSLMU9mIsbKLAc5hpOWfs8XUiWybH54-4ti4TAQ-Pzf_fWMSU6U_x0PWI0cyUpIDYnHNs/s1600-h/stencil%252520on%252520burlap%252520%252528233x350%252529%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="stencil on burlap (233x350)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="stencil on burlap (233x350)" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eRa9tUgIinGSJWbZNSNSbxtuanEiG2pCuzt12psaHKI6BSOvcLCJoXRWPjrIjZzOyahpzgjWbOP6BfDsJtq1kz3HRSj-eKXeJ2R-9YoqPBDOc7ycoyeGMESnMDQFasvF-xinkLrOzEo/?imgmax=800" width="316" height="482"></a> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p>7. While the paint dries, you can add trim to the outside edge of your base triangle. I like using cotton lace when I’m using burlap—kind of fancies it up, but not too much. I pre-cut all of the lengths I needed (I am not looking for precision here—just get it close). Use an old, small paint brush to “paint” a thin layer of glue around the perimeter of your base triangle and apply the trim. By the time you finish this, the paint on your burlap pennants should be dry. <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-tOjeCv9O8WY/UlMB1eR2f2I/AAAAAAAAIrU/9fYX9PbPknE/s1600-h/prepare%252520to%252520add%252520trim%252520%2525281024x683%252529%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="prepare to add trim (1024x683)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="prepare to add trim (1024x683)" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5OY1Vh7Jh6o/UlMB19oc1rI/AAAAAAAAIrc/x6YBJnP0iT8/prepare%252520to%252520add%252520trim%252520%2525281024x683%252529_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="416" height="287"></a> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p>8. Apply another thin layer of glue on the base triangle (inside of the trim) and stick the burlap to the base. Allow to dry completely. <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-TK2CxC5rrcU/UlMB22-lSwI/AAAAAAAAIrk/Qcx_JHQmQPM/s1600-h/complete%252520pennant%252520%252528683x1024%252529%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="complete pennant (683x1024)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="complete pennant (683x1024)" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmRI-seyKvk75MJXOKCsdj8xIxuyIv734UChKRp_sqqy4OrIXGxSQZTvNwbBn0U0vaWLr3Hr9uNd4tjIkI0aTKjbajKwb6hyG-fjJpvJa9xtZ6AntkMEJ5tZ6iHgY6rd4zNB5EjHN0dQ/?imgmax=800" width="379" height="249"></a> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p>9. Apply reinforcement stickers to the backside of each of the holes on the base pennant. <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MV6kBOIFJK0/UlMB4nyU54I/AAAAAAAAIr0/JHrbj6sy42E/s1600-h/Harvest%252520banner%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="Harvest banner" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Harvest banner" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_u9gYXe67sCDHTRRYqVJezkdlYybHCobuxGZwiNOoKHdQ19BNWlKjAu_aCfSXGM5bTaVTenLuPjlFccrmxuMrJna2vrJwxNLEcuVCiNCiYFSU2FYM0bmYn1YMV9kL3dYyvsq6NffO46Q/?imgmax=800" width="411" height="335"></a>10. Now you’re ready to string you pennant banner together. Run the jute twine through the hole starting on the top left of the H, running the twine behind the base triangle . . . oh you get the picture. <p> <p>11. I added the raffia accents to give my banner a little more interest. You could also add a few pieces of mini-Indian corn between each triangle. <p>Have fun with this project, but be careful, the next thing you know you will be cutting more triangles and stringing pennants to welcome your friends to your guest bathroom. Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-84839914530797150932013-10-07T10:57:00.001-07:002013-10-07T10:57:41.748-07:00The first day of September—color me happy!<p><em>My column for The Leaf Chronicle, originally published Sep 1, 2013.</em> <p>My love/hate relationship with our Mulberry tree continues—having just gotten over the black flies and berries, we are now dealing with the falling leaves (which will continue until February). The gardens are a mess—weeds are rampant in the flower bed and the perennials are getting leggy. The lack of rain has wreaked havoc on the gardens and yard; yet I am crazy about this time of year! <p>Our “above ground pond” is closed for the season, so that is one less thing to worry about. Pretty soon we will be able to open the windows and enjoy the fresh air. Soon, mums and pumpkins will adorn front porches all over Clarksville. Yep—soon it’ll be fall y’all! <p>In typical fashion, however, I am loathe to push the seasons. Owning a retail shop makes me hyper aware of the changing seasons. You will note that most retailers already have their Halloween décor on the shelves—fall colors, in the form of faux leaves and pumpkins, having been added in July. I have always pushed back at the suggestion that I need to do the same thing at my shop, but I have had to succumb ever so slightly. <p>I think that, by August, everyone has had enough “summer” and most consider the start of the school year the start of the fall season; however, the warm weather will stick around for a while, so let’s conjure some ideas for making a transition. <p>This is the perfect time to cleanse the decorating palette. I like to move into neutral tones before I introduce the rich colors of the harvest season. The neutral items will then provide a great base for the future riot of orange, gold and red. <p>Here’s how I will start. I have a tobacco basket on the front of my house—where I often hang my wreaths. I put it up last fall and decided to use it as the “base” for all of our entryway décor since then. Until recently, a swag of herbs with a garden trowel and bird’s nest was hanging there, now it is the backdrop for an armful of dried oats, gathered together with a knot of burlap. In a few weeks, I will add a pennant banner to hail the harvest season (I’ll be sharing tips on how to make your own next week). For now, the neutral oats will set the tone—then I will add pops of color and seasonal references. <p>Dried flowers and grasses are a great way to make changes in the house, without pulling out the pumpkins and gourds just yet. Hydrangeas are my favorite dried flowers and my friend, Ruta, just gave me tips for the best way to dry them. If you have a bush with blooms you are still enjoying, now would be a great time to cut a bunch and bring them inside to dry. (If you don’t have your own hydrangea bush, wait until it is dark and sneak into your neighbor’s yard to cut his.) Don’t harvest new blooms—choose the blooms that are already starting to feel papery. Cut a good length of stem and remove all leaves. Then place the blooms in a vase that is filled to about 1/3 full. Add your blooms—don’t overcrowd—then enjoy them until the water evaporates. You should then have beautiful dried blooms. Keep them out of direct sunlight during the drying process and afterward. <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-3LA9lcSjB1k/UlL2EU25aKI/AAAAAAAAIp8/WdVpkryGpfA/s1600-h/drying%252520hydrangeas%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="drying hydrangeas" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="drying hydrangeas" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYNFY7pEEbKoShmumHxIbErIuO7FTXI6gNMf5kd_2Sb3BGHA7y3f1HG94hok40t_ftWy4PKpDcTUipmSzU5GB1sPQyIW-VAOoDufb592JyeL6ni9vqpvNDdn7_yT6ss8AAt2fnA2BxR0/?imgmax=800" width="433" height="299"></a> Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-39657886121191384162013-10-07T10:51:00.001-07:002013-10-07T10:51:10.696-07:00The Bourbon Trail portion of the weekend<p><em>This is my column originally published in The Leaf Chronicle, Aug 18, 2013</em> <p>Last week I wrote about the yard sale portion of the <i>yard sale and bourbon trail</i> weekend I recently enjoyed with my sisters, mother and a friend. I closed by promising to share some insight from our visits to the distilleries; however, my editor took liberties when she changed my closing sentence, to include the phrase “bourbon-soaked portion of our trip.” <p><em>(This portion was omitted from my “defense:” I don’t know about other writers, but I rarely read my own articles when they are published; I guess I should start. Imagine my surprise upon arriving at church Sunday morning to be greeted with comments such as “Well, I’m surprised to see you here;” and “Have you recovered?” Fortunately, I attend Trinity Episcopal, where an occasional drink is not frowned upon. I know that the comments were good, old fashioned ribbing, but really, I didn’t understand the cause, as our trip was anything but “bourbon-soaked.”)</em> <p>So, please, gentle reader, fear neither for my soul, my liver, nor those of my traveling companions. We were quite responsible and reasonably restrained. So, back to the debauchery . . . <p>When we decided to combine our visit to the “world’s longest yard sale” with a tour of some bourbon distilleries, we started by researching The Kentucky Bourbon Trail® online (kybourbontrail.com). We then found those distilleries closest to Route 127. As we had Nikki and Jessica driving in from Virginia to meet us the first night, we found the one closest to I-64, the route they would be traveling. And set that as our first destination. <p>Most distilleries close around 5 p.m., but we found that Buffalo Trace Distillery (buffalotrace.com) in Frankfort, KY (not on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail®) offered a ghost tour at 7 p.m., which not only meshed with our travel schedule, but piqued our interest, too! Upon arrival at the grounds of the Buffalo Trace Distillery, we were immediately enthralled. The 130-acre property, set along the former buffalo migration route, is speckled with four centuries of architecture. Still family owned and operated after 200 years, the distillery and the grounds actually proved to be our hands-down favorite. The ghost tour was an effective means for access to many of the historic structures and learning about the history of the distillery. Our tour was followed by a tasting of our choice of two of four spirits offered. Mom stuck with the Dr. McGillicuddy’s root beer and Kendall enjoyed the Bourbon Cream liqueur. The rest of us sampled the straight bourbon or the <i>white dog</i>—which is the pure distilled alcohol product before it is aged in the oak barrels. (I prefer the aged version.) <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluv-XTgdRGhX0gcntFYmaVotU61HFRSn4p9HWjJ7ClAHlmOwf9u6Heh9YWjJSeMwfxcifP7nLlMgfV86-Ef-Q7bTgqRFBw2TSUUQILnCTHLUVTKbZ3B5DwyXfDlGD9QaYCyEPzMfPRyE/s1600-h/2013-08-02%25252018.12.40%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-02 18.12.40" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2013-08-02 18.12.40" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bejh2lQ1_Xw/UlL0GepxpZI/AAAAAAAAIlA/-ZrfNIJ5RM0/2013-08-02%25252018.12.40_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="388" height="268"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSRD3gW36wYEhgxXg_BXwywOEOFXlPmel3eMz3SdO1LWQBq3v4x1mkO83VigelbQtJJyC4Gz4f6rAseKbOberUi1wOcfKgzXfYgFSJsWda8Yh4qoVHh6uWYZqf4sbj0gDtB26vqlnCc4/s1600-h/2013-08-02%25252018.25.57%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-02 18.25.57" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2013-08-02 18.25.57" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_DHAGUIm9J8AJI7jt-0C63NMBNeZU4GEBIq8YONys47ICK2Ftlppd4yi47ySvcYNjQGXC-AqQTYzg17oKPsmdRacrEykE1cI7ZhEsq9TWZacL6zaSS8Nz-xd_5Qe8XPnsJ37M66q0Ms/?imgmax=800" width="372" height="263"></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-eM8k2nnWjCE/UlL0Is521uI/AAAAAAAAIlY/Uo-qrE7Ft1o/s1600-h/2013-08-02%25252018.28.25%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-02 18.28.25" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2013-08-02 18.28.25" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WPZG_3idaqQ/UlL0I3AqIFI/AAAAAAAAIlg/inuixMCsGr8/2013-08-02%25252018.28.25_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="231" height="352"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-zt0tjZFXocc/UlL0J0SHx5I/AAAAAAAAIlo/RcNrIyUvxCU/s1600-h/2013-08-02%25252018.35.29%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-02 18.35.29" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2013-08-02 18.35.29" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQVrJODGVlFz9C2vPhB81XA2tFjsxWnLBt4V8s9WC3LZJknub1ZhPth9rjV5RG0wqy0Jz7uD8vTLtGBjwKijlU0QcTYP_NBYAL2l3cbP8QKldCQXbLzd4QQrabX1HftK0YmQ67HiKplU/?imgmax=800" width="376" height="266"></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-epz3Ilxsbzw/UlL0LSYw3xI/AAAAAAAAIl4/bSC1_a6bZBI/s1600-h/2013-08-02%25252018.41.07%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-02 18.41.07" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2013-08-02 18.41.07" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8gyHjtP1X1kvHSEZzcrIhMn_Cm68AYArJo_cUJJRFvgnKe8n9PnV3r6gD_emFo7-iutr6VPxp90Hw9_9PRP4Ktd694gtpDJ5ol9Z1bxZIKhAyxc-WX9U8Z8hyphenhyphenXxr59cv_Xf8lD4PTZs/?imgmax=800" width="375" height="265"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-AMgikyB3rzY/UlL0NEXmh4I/AAAAAAAAImI/pMamex4O0OY/s1600-h/2013-08-02%25252020.01.40%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-02 20.01.40" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2013-08-02 20.01.40" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iKThCcCxPl4/UlL0NxQ9hhI/AAAAAAAAImQ/QimgCdQsUp4/2013-08-02%25252020.01.40_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="400" height="283"></a> <p>The next morning we traveled a winding road, through a vast horse ranch, into a valley in Versailles, KY where we found the lovely setting for the Woodford Distillery. Unfortunately, the yard sale called, so our visit here was brief; hindsight, proved we should have stayed! We did not take a tour, but they did have a very thorough and attractive visitor’s center, where we learned a little about the processes employed by this distillery. We each tried a small taste of their copper pot-distilled straight bourbon whiskey, save Mom (who indulged in a bourbon truffle, which was offered to her). All I can say it, “Smooth.” woodfordeserve.com <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-d6kc-igF9m4/UlL0POx0JEI/AAAAAAAAImY/SDRt5gzoiiE/s1600-h/2013-08-03%25252009.00.32%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-03 09.00.32" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2013-08-03 09.00.32" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-AaMxOE2vWjc/UlL0Ph6oyzI/AAAAAAAAImc/kPZ1bDDTF-A/2013-08-03%25252009.00.32_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="338" height="234"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-IFNlQjo7nwY/UlL0RQK9fsI/AAAAAAAAImo/OsVuto38kG0/s1600-h/2013-08-03%25252009.00.51%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-03 09.00.51" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2013-08-03 09.00.51" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFMB6Qhh1XUyWZVCaukdx-VQikTM22QhLxRXyuxyTKaXA6OfUaFG0RwcKsmsk7RlRmRecBlmkmJNDpA0MZXKtVg_onjO9E4MTPXeHTZLPZs7KY6vsALojU9f3hwCU44djrdoFI_ECLcs/?imgmax=800" width="338" height="234"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-vlYtuqFEPck/UlL0TN7WVjI/AAAAAAAAIm4/gTI-Ob8sOf8/s1600-h/2013-08-03%25252009.07.08%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-03 09.07.08" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2013-08-03 09.07.08" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pf8byNs8g6U/UlL0TivWWTI/AAAAAAAAInA/k-5KK1Ikk08/2013-08-03%25252009.07.08_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="334" height="231"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tRBRe4p86cI/UlL0U8tznjI/AAAAAAAAInI/FsYT5yPYqW4/s1600-h/on%252520the%252520woodford%252520porch%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="on the woodford porch" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="on the woodford porch" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ao19mJJ5A2I/UlL0VrIAlHI/AAAAAAAAInM/AHyGkpzWwSc/on%252520the%252520woodford%252520porch_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="330" height="228"></a> <p>After too many fruitless hours spent at the yard sale, we then headed to Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY. We, unfortunately, were joined on our tour by a rather large group of young ladies supporting a bride-to-be (evidenced by one of those mini-veils clipped in her coif), as well as a chatty group of 30-somethings who were more engaged in their own conversation than that of the tour guide. (You know you’re getting old when you throw unmistakably dirty looks at rude people even though you don’t have your 6’2” husband there as your “muscle.”) The distillery was not operational during our visit (another downside) and most of the tour consisted of a movie. Again, the setting was lovely, but this was, unfortunately, our least favorite stop along the Trail®. I feel I must confess a prejudice against the logo—I’m not a fan of rose illustrations and I am put-off by even numbers; <i>three roses</i>, yes--better). Regardless, we did taste the bourbons offered—a magnanimous gesture, to be sure. Our assessment of those we sampled were in keeping with the tour—our least favorite. Fourrosesbourbon.com <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-RNbDHB7frRg/UlL0WVIo-PI/AAAAAAAAInY/9A0sP-I4ods/s1600-h/2013-08-03%25252014.22.11%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-03 14.22.11" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-08-03 14.22.11" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgGmcsgmHGAew62FChLtj1q0bGWkizPlFBPUZRzgIx1-DjJeja7elI2ivOkLSn3QV1YykPmSYMlhKR_XTC8BWo7LvDERXc68Y9p4-GeJDxOTPmP8cxeeUKzkI4uZmhZbezTTQww9Intw/?imgmax=800" width="235" height="363"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-zFg1b53Vx_Y/UlL0XzYLhkI/AAAAAAAAIno/fA_vgma7qyo/s1600-h/2013-08-03%25252014.26.16%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-03 14.26.16" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-08-03 14.26.16" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RzB53nu36lw/UlL0YYkbxAI/AAAAAAAAIns/nQXrfImQGQ4/2013-08-03%25252014.26.16_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="164" height="244"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ghxDbv5g9ps/UlL0ZM1jDKI/AAAAAAAAIn4/VK4z6FHRmiE/s1600-h/2013-08-03%25252014.46.59%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-03 14.46.59" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-08-03 14.46.59" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-IYHqd5WVUsU/UlL0Z6lcsHI/AAAAAAAAIn8/Z56kEqV2E2Y/2013-08-03%25252014.46.59_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="330" height="228"></a> <p>From there, we headed to Bardstown, KY. We had reservations in a quaint motel, which they had done their best to update, but it still suffered the odiferous remnants of its obviously former incarnation as a facility which allowed smoking. Other than that, it had a charm that I feel sure I appreciated more than my traveling companions. We enjoyed a lovely dinner, followed by entertainment at the Old Talbott Tavern. I’d have to say that, if any part of our trip came close to being “bourbon soaked” it was here, as they offered a sampler tray of bourbons, which we happily ordered . . . twice. <p>The next morning we explored a bit of the downtown area, but found most shops closed. We found one shop, The Old Mercantile, open and manned by the friendliest, most informative Texas transplant! A few souvenirs later, we left for a quick drive thru My Old Kentucky Home on our way to our next distillery, Heaven Hill. <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEh91DcYW6Bw1nexp6QcuXHnOI0Z94ZdIwASN2ho4vVN0GZ8sOM2f2HTusclFXfEjmObHLYJl9AqKodbFfl9c155xpSi8M3ofVp6wR-VxzvEd2No8-kA6GYx6hMQsFe-v5TYYMw2zqZL8/s1600-h/aging%252520barrels%252520HH%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="aging barrels HH" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="aging barrels HH" align="right" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-fakw890cQnw/UlL0bDSae4I/AAAAAAAAIoQ/9A5b9dFFIfE/aging%252520barrels%252520HH_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="164" height="244"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLy2jtPvCT8y4Ybae0bFLtBRiTp8zjPBzTJi4vvzPH3lM9dZQKG6D_MCOOwDQ4rjln8e4un9Oq61VVwQZZy-hNJO5BozlYUzUDfnOInvgMF0xRYmMk7XGh5Njh0RAmtqJEMAtTZdlv2fE/s1600-h/2013-08-04%25252011.57.51%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-04 11.57.51" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-08-04 11.57.51" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkPhaFQZkiCNbnTKet4AKgcNO-w8m41bmBKwEaCCVR-PkWFmoGR-LebAJVCkzejN3g488r5_prWP0ZWGrZGHmQt1DuRQ1o1I9xZ_bkQSLklp10clJ3GmAcyNOZUX4-by7q0LzpREM7g8/?imgmax=800" width="164" height="244"></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-1EVdTnCduHA/UlL0dXGg5rI/AAAAAAAAIoo/1IlYo5U3X1s/s1600-h/2013-08-04%25252012.06.46%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-04 12.06.46" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-08-04 12.06.46" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LmqvVH7N8Tw/UlL0d7GsUWI/AAAAAAAAIow/q6wGUtJkWco/2013-08-04%25252012.06.46_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="164" height="244"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCi_RVxvukw6gd7cCrPAAYFJ-2qWSQMNTUAGihiAPlsgjzT6HtFQHE-MU33Cx5e3JkG2DJuI0Fizezns4yT7mKpap6_gjUUN8l-C7C6w39KPf7685BiHTQZqBs1mtSgxvCVCcLFZzr9M/s1600-h/rick%252520house%252520construct%252520HH%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="rick house construct HH" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="rick house construct HH" align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vQxY2nnFQzE/UlL0fLaFmzI/AAAAAAAAIo8/5JnLQbqKH6U/rick%252520house%252520construct%252520HH_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="164" height="244"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ38wkYVhAOH1_RIVzwn6ghRU0c8JJVJ2qip0Kb4Fws8Bq17bE2eAf2HwPVhcdHAOd2jX68-OoroZ20td3S4MgN5hmZuZgpepEk3I_z6z4WDjJp1CbZaKcT-BxNfFEDJFynm3TTModUb8/s1600-h/2013-08-04%25252012.19.33%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-04 12.19.33" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-08-04 12.19.33" align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-t2LLtFYBuUI/UlL0gUt4ofI/AAAAAAAAIpM/MlxPVgk8QbE/2013-08-04%25252012.19.33_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-K7lBQHAOGfU/UlL0hVoxYzI/AAAAAAAAIpY/n8UZa3odZd0/s1600-h/2013-08-04%25252012.19.51%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-04 12.19.51" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-08-04 12.19.51" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JmRZBBA9bjs/UlL0hk562EI/AAAAAAAAIpc/Hp3pRpFAmwQ/2013-08-04%25252012.19.51_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="164" height="244"></a> <p>Heaven Hill, located in Bardstown, is where you will find Evan Williams and Elijah Craig bourbons aging in oak; the stills are actually located in Louisville. It is also home to the Bourbon Heritage Center. This was our last stop and I was a bit skeptical, as outward appearances would lead one to believe that we had arrived at a prison camp. Surrounded by numerous seven-story white-ish buildings wearing petticoats of black fungus, the Center was actually an oasis of lovely construction and landscaping. Upon our arrival, we joined a tour, already in progress and began to learn a lot about the process of distilling bourbon. The tour of the rick house was fascinating—those buildings are constantly shifting, engineering marvels! Our tour guide, Holly, was an informative and witty delight and the tasting that followed was educational, as well as delicious. <p>All-in-all, the trip was wonderful. I won’t bother with the yard sale the next time; I’ll just try to get a few more stamps in my Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Passport. <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1Veu3lSSPwATvNKCEPUTsMMwqofey684jEOFkbKv7WboE3ufYeW3uSzq0aB9zoJeh4kgVV26SxRBNXUDTU0VR3-L_80GCHEyhfV7nKClSnryI4-fyv3p9tSJQwGx1Wg3qYJi7BeYcIA/s1600-h/Retreat%2525202013%252520265%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="Retreat 2013 265" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Retreat 2013 265" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Wv1EsnebPW4/UlL0jbBOASI/AAAAAAAAIps/SyeWe-Msnag/Retreat%2525202013%252520265_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="430" height="297"></a> <p align="center"><em>Some of the loot we returned with from the Bourbon Trail.</em></p> Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-48569526962560018472013-10-07T09:48:00.001-07:002013-10-07T09:48:28.845-07:00World’s Longest Yard Sale<p><em>My column for The Leaf chronicle, originally published August 11, 2013.</em> <p>The life and times of a barely-holding-onto-her-forties shopkeeper can appear, to the casual observer, as a lot of fun. I often have folks in my boutique say things like “I would love to have a shop like this one day;” or, “You must have so much fun!” Most days, I will answer these comments with affirming replies such as, “It’s just a matter of putting your mind to it;” or, “Oh yes! I love putting together the displays and selecting the merchandise.” But more often than not, I am thinking, “NO! Don’t do it!” <p>As for the fun, last weekend was supposed to be all about the “fun” of finding vintage merchandise for my inventory. My mother is still visiting, so she, my sister, Kendall, and I set out last Friday morning with our destination being the “World’s Longest Yard Sale” along the 127 Corridor. The concept being that folks all along Route 127, which runs from Illinois to Alabama, set-up for a collective yard sale the first weekend in August. The sale starts Thursday and runs through Sunday. <p>This is something Kendall and I have been talking about doing for years, so we were naturally quite anxious to see if it was everything we had imagined. Due to the fact that we had arranged to meet our other sister, Nikki, and Kendall’s best friend, Jessica, in Frankfort, KY at 5 p.m. we decided to start our yard <i>saling</i> (did you know that “sale” isn’t not verb-able?) adventure in Russell Springs, KY. <p>After departing the parkway for 127, we stopped at the visitor’s center for an actual map (the kind printed on paper and not just doled out in portions explored via Mapquest.com). The lady at the center assured my sister she had been crazy busy, although she appeared well into her solitaire game on the computer monitor. Regardless, our sense of urgency started to increase, afraid that everyone else already beat us to the good stuff. Upon perusing the selection at the first venues we came upon, we decided we were decidedly later. Even though we arrived relatively early on the second day of the sale we felt like we were arriving at the end. <p>Most of the stuff was exactly what you would expect to find at a yard sale: clothing (mostly labels from a certain chain that also sells food and hardware); new-ish glassware and dishes, in singles or odd lots; videos and dvds; and, an enormous selection of items jumbled in dusty boxes which were obviously intended for the dump, but were accidently stored in a garage or shed, so they were pulled out for the big yard sale. There were a handful of true vintage/antique vendors, but overall, we were disappointed. We had been led to believe (by people who had been to this event) that we would find something more akin to the flea markets we enjoy so much. <p>Now, in defense of this enormously popular event, we were only able to explore a small section of the yard sale. It did seem to improve north of Danville, KY, but we only had the time available to park and visit two of the larger venues. The vendors we talked to were a little disappointed, as well; by mid-day Saturday, things were not selling as they had in previous years. One vendor, in particular, though in the “better” area (by our estimation) stated he regretted having moved north from his previous location of Crossville, TN. <p><em>(I’m including some photos from one of the better stops we made.)</em> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-nPTTV3_VTrY/UlLlwsKNKMI/AAAAAAAAIjw/vIiNKqUcnSw/s1600-h/093%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="093" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="093" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6hmNqsFN7DTgvbzxFVGPj7AUId1Ayc-iWCiDRR7BAuwxHXhHW8dc4O5bDP8B1uMO7urimMGKrVEINs3jYZ_n5qwjqjuagIZowvyNQjJBLexfGklUmdzfI1H_HFqJX5TVfQ-19qi5RKM/?imgmax=800" width="303" height="209"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_f4zvoCuE1s/UlLlyv_5oUI/AAAAAAAAIkA/6j_3MHo7R8M/s1600-h/2013-08-03%25252012.24.27%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-03 12.24.27" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-08-03 12.24.27" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-TKZCl2vFE6g/UlLlzIsqT2I/AAAAAAAAIkE/V_113HkGLK4/2013-08-03%25252012.24.27_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="303" height="209"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-4o0Ldzyf2Jc/UlLl0dnJPII/AAAAAAAAIkQ/5NXf5tmdrTA/s1600-h/a%252520good%252520vendor%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="a good vendor" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="a good vendor" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-El8EUoIvwcY/UlLl0_a5ucI/AAAAAAAAIkY/2IShZBORaOE/a%252520good%252520vendor_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="303" height="209"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3dDbj2ojQP7YjyNrn_8bEH8ShwvOy7kW3gK3bI4efmdIUV4V3oBWFINReO3Sq8wQpKHq6VVg7jF3-v1tWvNKj7IPzC6AVJzC3wLxOPE5ciJuhBRXMmoXywN9LAVNwyHoX8Oh1KnfEHQ/s1600-h/2013-08-03%25252012.26.22%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-03 12.26.22" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-08-03 12.26.22" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtjRzRfBRKrYw48jOAZNV1SfH7mvE513-hS6veZwqzIc0Y83FjaxS4tZBMtPOHtRLEjQ5fZRxu4Xo8uX-dMHW74mH1uGxPbnONScYhyphenhyphen4u4r6em-xSpNeoE5HQLliCsyO_aYSu7Qfo_SY/?imgmax=800" width="303" height="444"></a> <p>The good news is we had combined this yard <i>saling</i> (yup, I did it again) adventure with visits to a few of the distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. That portion of our trip was a complete success and I’ll share a little about that part of our trip another time. Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-6677952838778119742013-03-14T09:37:00.000-07:002013-03-14T09:37:21.899-07:00Feb 10, 2013--Pleasant Surprises<br />
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Mid-February and mid-fifties! Are you kidding me? I want winter weather. I want at least one, really good snow day
when we’re all forced to stay home in our PJs, watch movies and bake
cookies. You know you want one, too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Instead I’m watching in dismay as my daffodils bloom and my
winter urn arrangements appear incongruent in this tropical oasis. (Slight exaggeration, but it helps to
emphasize my point.) As I sit typing my
fingers to the bone (more emphasis), the 10 day forecast is predicting more of
the same. I see no snow days in my near
future.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I do see, however, some baking in my very near future. This week I will bake my first King Cake for
Fat Tuesday. We don’t really make a big
deal about Mardi Gras around the King Kompound—it usually means Pancake Supper
at Trinity Episcopal and that’s about it.
This year, however, I promised my patrons some King Cake, so I better
get busy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Last year we went to celebrate Mardi Gras with my sister and
brother-in-law in Northern Virginia.
They host a grande fête each February and one of their guests brought a
couple dozen cupcakes, each embellished with a plastic baby figure—like the one
found inside a proper King Cake. I
absconded with at least half-a-dozen, so I am set in that regard. What I need to find, though, is a recipe. I’ll also be making Pralines for the first
time. I’m actually looking forward to it
and will let you know how I make-out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we’re going to run headlong into Valentine’s Day, too,
I’ve worked-out some plans for that, too.
I really want to go see “Always . . . Patsy Cline” at The Roxy, but we
are a going to have to wait until next week for that. Rather than fight the crowds to dine-out
(rest assured, we do our fair share of that), I think I’ll make a nice,
romantic dinner for the three of us (you will remember we still have one bird in
the nest). I’m going to make Coq au
Vin—it was the first “fancy” dish I ever made for Darren. I don’t think, to be honest, it was the hook
that caught him, but I remember the excitement of preparing such a special meal
very fondly!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSZwRpC22qmKgMwR8z698dOlk-1W6ZSq8Lw-iufjj1VxnskSfI4PwLgNv2WJR2I3py5Y9AwvMf6G3n3aDkMlXTXJvG83evYtI5eruxXRHqOv0DXNlCKwuigiAtet0W7wgDP0pOQNqdUw/s1600/2013-02-14+19.55.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSZwRpC22qmKgMwR8z698dOlk-1W6ZSq8Lw-iufjj1VxnskSfI4PwLgNv2WJR2I3py5Y9AwvMf6G3n3aDkMlXTXJvG83evYtI5eruxXRHqOv0DXNlCKwuigiAtet0W7wgDP0pOQNqdUw/s320/2013-02-14+19.55.55.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_668393189"></span><span id="goog_668393190"></span><br /></div>
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Does cooking do that for you? Do you hold onto those memories like I
do? I can tell you the first time I made
a lot of meals. For instance, the first
time I made Stromboli I failed to remove the paper casing from the salami, so
with every bite, Darren was discreetly pulling the casing out from between
pursed lips. (That one was after we were
married, so he gave me the appropriately hard time!) <o:p></o:p></div>
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I really enjoy planning and preparing meals, which is
another aspect of my creativity that has been thwarted over the past few years. Every now a then I have bursts of culinary
creativity, but they are far too infrequent.
When we were trying to figure out what to do with some leftover ham the
other night, I told Darren that I would use it to prepare Spaghetti a la
Carbonara. His response, “But I didn’t
pick-up any of that at the commissary.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Harumph!” said I.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, last Wednesday, I came home from work and immediately
set-about browning the onions and mixing
the half-and-half with some egg yolks.
Thirty minutes later, he was pleasantly surprised that I was not only
still able to cook from scratch, but that the results were rather tasty. (Added bonus, I used a lot of leftovers and
we needed nothing additional from the commissary!) I think I need to surprise him, as well as
myself, a little more frequently!<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I hope this week holds pleasant surprises for
you.</span>Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-77573451111696306342013-03-14T08:58:00.000-07:002013-03-14T08:58:16.238-07:00Jan 27, 2013--Creativity Is Its Own Reward<br />
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Caption: A few of the
vignettes filling the Christmas void.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Happy to report: I
have made good on my commitment to dedicate more time to my creative endeavors;
this has been the case for TWO whole weeks now.
That makes it a habit, right?
It’s my understanding that experts say it takes two weeks for a new
behavior to become a habit. Well, we’ll
see about that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve been known to defeat the law of averages quite soundly
in numerous tête-à-tête with the universe.
Albeit, most have been self-prophesized, which experts would likely
identify as self-defeating, but who listens to those “experts” anyway?<o:p></o:p></div>
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This venture into my dormant creative self is much
needed. I’ve forced it to take a back
seat to many others aspects of my life and it’s beginning to be difficult to
conjure. I fear if I allow it to climb
any further into the back seat, it may end-up trapped in the trunk! I am trying to revive it and already feel
better for my efforts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Last week I wrote about my journal-style calendar, which is
a large part of my artistic re-entry. I
often discuss this subject with my friend, Kimberly Santiago. Kimberly is a local artist who
has—conveniently for me—set-up her studio on the second floor of our building. She has on numerous occasions encouraged me
to further explore my creativity. She is
very supportive, however, as I berate myself for my lack of inventive
adventures, she will chide me to remember that what I do via my shop requires a
fair degree of originality and imagination; she is my art “therapist.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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We are our own worst critics. (I’m not just saying that for my benefit—I’m
saying it for your benefit, as well.) We
expect so much of ourselves, but find it so easy to notice the achievements and
successes of our friends. I will leave
that topic open for my next session with my art therapist, but in the meantime,
I will take pride in my minor creative successes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This past week I took time to arrange a few vignettes around
the house—things that take the place of the holiday decorations which have made
their way into my newly reorganized storage space. (Hey—I’d like to just take a moment to give
myself a pat on the back for that monumental feat of ingenious displacement
packing. How I fit that much stuff into
the same space AND made it look more organized is beyond me!) Back to the new “old” stuff . . .<o:p></o:p></div>
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This time of year, I pull out the silver stuff; not that it
ever really goes away, but I pull it front-and-center during the colder
months. When I disassembled the holiday
décor on our the mantel in our living room, I left almost everything silver and
brown, added a few tan and brown books, as well as a few bare branches to tie
the theme of winter together. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCO_iUI8DQ05LyFDXJlXEqvZRbwIqItzEDsHqjE0IEJqClDS1Uxaf0tX3twGKMuEvryLt2X_lLJz9tSY_C_F7MnaMzxKxkeeNEXU_jxpp8NXQ-E005aGHXkdjiTeebNb_yfEQ9A6g5-8/s1600/winter+mantel+right.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCO_iUI8DQ05LyFDXJlXEqvZRbwIqItzEDsHqjE0IEJqClDS1Uxaf0tX3twGKMuEvryLt2X_lLJz9tSY_C_F7MnaMzxKxkeeNEXU_jxpp8NXQ-E005aGHXkdjiTeebNb_yfEQ9A6g5-8/s320/winter+mantel+right.JPG" width="264" /></a></div>
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In the kitchen, I’ve arranged a tray of vintage pewter mugs
with their white porcelain insert cups, a collection of crisp white linen
napkins and transferred our huge container of hot chocolate mix into a vintage
style jar. I also have a jar of the mini
marshmallows at the ready.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_a9Enwrcyrhki-EMh8SXmBbqcNdJesyGFOAQY1o_IbaV_V3AMOT7p7EFahiq96MxGtwIcgG_DaijjA0LeKehyphenhyphen5WsDA5Z__Mh8Pu9LDywgOsLMHwrYF8GFxVQi-m_dhfpYKpo7T41eF-U/s1600/hot+chocolate+tray.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_a9Enwrcyrhki-EMh8SXmBbqcNdJesyGFOAQY1o_IbaV_V3AMOT7p7EFahiq96MxGtwIcgG_DaijjA0LeKehyphenhyphen5WsDA5Z__Mh8Pu9LDywgOsLMHwrYF8GFxVQi-m_dhfpYKpo7T41eF-U/s320/hot+chocolate+tray.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In the dining room, I’ve begun preparation for Valentine’s
Day. I’m not a fan of hearts being used
in my decoration, but the proper amount of vintage influence allows for
exceptions. I employed decoupage
techniques to upcycle empty bottles into decorative accents for the impending
lovers’ holiday.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, there you have my journal entries for the past
week. I have carved-out some time for
nurturing my creativity and I feel so much better for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-85447776928031359162013-03-14T08:15:00.000-07:002013-03-14T08:15:47.208-07:00Jan 20, 2013--Creative, Inspiring Year Ahead<br />
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Caption: My
resourceful endeavor to plan and record my anticipated creatively inspired year
ahead<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the best features of a passing into a new year is a
new calendar. I love calendars; so much
so that I have a minimum of three—no, wait—four, running simultaneously. There is the Microsoft® Outlook calendar
which is my most dependable, especially since it syncs with my iPhone®
calendar, then there is my wall calendar which hangs in the kitchen and lets
the family know what is happening. The
fourth calendar, however, is my favorite; it is the one I carry with me pretty
much everywhere. It is the one that
ends-up holding more than just my schedule; it is where I stuff receipts,
coupons, agendas and more. This
“favorite” calendar has seen many incarnations—from a very corporate-style Day
Runner® in a black portfolio to the pocket-style family agenda in a wipe clean
plastic cover. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My favorite, however, has been found. It is a journal style calendar. There is plenty of room to write my scheduled
activities, as well as some notes about the day or week. As it seems I have reached maximum capacity
in my “grey matter” storage unit, I’ve found it necessary to not only write
down where I am supposed to be going, but also where I’ve been and what I
did! <o:p></o:p></div>
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A few years ago, I found the perfect journal-style calendar
for my needs. It was actually designed
to resemble a ledger book—like those kept by business folks for their record
keeping. I remember liking that feature
immediately. Then, upon closer
examination, I realized it was also appealing because of the design lay-out of
its content. Each week shared a two-page
spread, so there was a generous amount of room for my notes. I liked it so much; I placed an order for the
shop. When November rolled-around and I
hadn’t received them, I called the vendor and was told they lost the contract
and wouldn’t be wholesaling them after-all.
Rats!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I went into research mode, to no avail, trying to locate the
publisher and deal with them directly. Finally,
I found it online through a boutique similar to mine, but located in Ohio. I contacted the owner and asked her to share
the name of the vendor, but she wouldn’t tell me! I was shocked, but undaunted. I continued my research and found the journal
at our local Borders—the same day I received the negative response from Ohio.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well, long-story-longer, I was able to scavenge the calendar
for only two years. In that time, I
tried desperately to contact the publishers, but the information just led me to
a non-working number.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That’s when I decided I need to make my own, using a real ledger book I found at an office supply store. I worked with my friend, Märtha, and sister, Kendall, and we created our own, but I just couldn’t finish it. As luck would have it, Patty found one more of the published calendars, which saw me through last year. Unfortunately, 2013 hasn’t materialized; therefore, I decided to get creative and made my own. Unlike the last time, however, I am not waiting until it is finished to use it. I figure, for it to be a truly creative journal, it needs to develop throughout the year.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VGPJHFYu4VWPNbP-5W1BsnBGoeOy-RI8brsUZPXNoPuz-cHDvDY4X2oRo5mX6UaMYRU2OC2JkM-66iZRsjbbBH5Roh_DTVsl9VmnfKujFaDBuGAE5MHg_uf4Ku8sub843R4NjosPDdQ/s1600/journal+inside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VGPJHFYu4VWPNbP-5W1BsnBGoeOy-RI8brsUZPXNoPuz-cHDvDY4X2oRo5mX6UaMYRU2OC2JkM-66iZRsjbbBH5Roh_DTVsl9VmnfKujFaDBuGAE5MHg_uf4Ku8sub843R4NjosPDdQ/s320/journal+inside.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I will be writing my notes, jotting down ideas and memories
and using a glue stick to attach ephemera and other inspirational
findings. This is going to be a
creative, inspiring year and I’m going to capture as much as I can in my journal
calendar. <o:p></o:p></div>
Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-75112666470372529402013-03-14T08:06:00.001-07:002013-03-14T08:06:09.162-07:00Jan 13, 2013--Displacement Cleaning<br />
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Two trees down, two to go . . . plus the mantel(s),
staircase and kitchen décor. Anyone else
feeling overwhelmed by the post-Christmas un-decorating process?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve been using the fact that my husband was gone during the
holidays to justify my leisurely approach to returning the house to its
pre-Christmas blah-ness, but (if you’ve been a faithful reader) you know this
is my perennial lament. I really like my
house decorated for the holidays. I like
the glow of the lights from the trees and staircase. In fact, as I write this I am sitting in an
otherwise dark room—the only illumination being my computer screen and our
Christmas tree. I love it and hate to
see it go, but go it must, because I am also disconcerted by the furnishings
and art work the Christmas paraphernalia displaces.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m ready to return my treasured art, created by local
artist Billy Renkl, to its place of prominence on the wall which is currently
blocked by a 9 foot artificial tree. I am
ready to have the table, which belongs in the same general area, back in
place—to reload it with the “moments in time” we have captured and framed; to
slide the vintage chest into place and re-stack my collection of
magazines. And that is just one 3 square
foot area!<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, you see, it is not as though I will be de-cluttering the
house in order to return it to some minimalist domicile; nope—never been
accused of being a minimalist. What I
actually do is displacement cleaning and arranging. By “displacement” I am referring to the
physics definition; in the end, there will be the same amount of stuff, it’ll
just be redistributed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, wait a minute, didn’t I just write a column about celebrating my minor successes? Indeed I did.
I need to give myself some credit for off-loading at least a year’s
worth of magazines (just one title—kept the other three, of course). I’ve even allowed two of my subscriptions to
lapse; the counter balance to this effort is, however, the fact that I’ve
subscribed to a new magazine. I will end
up with a net of -1, which is, in this case, desirable. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Regardless, by the time you read this, I hope to have packed
away the family tree ornaments, but as I am still in the planning stages of
this action, I need to let you know something—that way I’m more likely to do it. This year, I am packing all of the ornaments
the kids have been given over the years, into their own boxes, where they will
stay until they have trees of their own.
I decided that this is the year to do it because I am starting to forget
which ornament belongs to whom. (We’re
talking about a lot of ornaments—collectively, a minimum of 52—that’s allowing
for gifts from relatives.) I feel awful
if/when they break. I’d rather go ahead
and put them away now, so they can break them on their own in their future
homes. So, with some help identifying each
designated ornament, they will go into boxes, marked with their names, until
they claim them for their own holiday celebrations. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You realize, of course, this means I’ll need more ornaments
for next Christmas.<o:p></o:p></div>
Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412866367316974211.post-46300484636898514962013-03-14T08:01:00.000-07:002013-03-14T08:01:05.693-07:00Jan 5, 2013--Celebrating Minor Successes<br />
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As we move into day 6 of the year twenty-thirteen, many of
us are considering what we can do to improve our situation. We may be thinking about personal
improvements, such as learning a new language or finding a new job; we may be
planning to make physical improvements, such as improving our eating habits or
level of activity; or we may just want to make changes in our surroundings,
such as improvements to our home or perhaps purchasing a new home. Whatever you have decided to take on or give
up this year, I wish you luck, but more I wish you dedication. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dedication pushes us through otherwise insurmountable
odds. It is what tells you to keep
going, when everyone around you is failing.
Dedication moves forward with every success and resets the backstop. If you have this type of commitment you will
succeed, even if you don’t achieve your intended goal. Commitment to a goal is bound to realize some
level of accomplishment and with varying levels of achievement come personal
growth.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What do you think? Are
you buying what I am selling? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Too be honest, it’s kind of strange to write these words, as
they are usually coming from the mouths of friends and family as they try to
convince me of my own success; or from my own mouth as I encourage those around
me. Why is it so difficult to see our
own success?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well, I am determined to improve my own outlook. I will attempt to find my own minor successes
in attempts my former self would have viewed as failures.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For instance, my numerous attempts to clear our “back porch”
in order to find a creative space will no longer be viewed as failures, but partial
successes. While I have not been able to
claim it as an inspired work space, my repeated efforts to do so have reduced
the piles of discarded sports equipment and categorized tools and garden
equipment. So far, the producers of that reality show about hoarders have not
yet knocked on my door. Success!<o:p></o:p></div>
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My inability to stay on top of my social media marketing for
the shop—especially my blog—has been a constant source of self-admonition this
year. Instead of berating myself for not
doing better, I will congratulate myself for not distracting my loyal Facebook
fans, Twitter followers and blog readers with a barrage of my ramblings. Success!<o:p></o:p></div>
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My efforts to re-establish a workout routine have not
emerged, but I do take my dog on long-ish brisk walks each morning. Of course, this is more in an effort to break
her spirit and hope for a few moments of inactivity, than to keep the size of
my thighs in check, but it’s something.
Oh yeah, for the past two months, I also managed to squeeze several days
of “power yoga” each week. So, cheers to
my better than nothing fitness efforts!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I just decided to take a look back at what I promised to do
better last year and was delighted to find that I made no resolutions last
year—other than to get past the misery of 2011.
So kudos to me on that stroke of brilliance—no goals means “no failures.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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Wow—I am on a roll!<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, whatever you decide to put your mind to in 2013, I hope
you do attack it with dogged determination, but, if you are only able to lose
13 lbs. instead of the full 20 lbs. or if your to-be-filed pile remains, even
though you resolved to be more organized, I hope you are able to find your
minor successes and celebrate them! If
you need a cheerleading section, give me a call.<o:p></o:p></div>
Paige Thomas Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01482726782021536375noreply@blogger.com0