Crazy, Crazier...."Me Time" Gone

I have missed blogging and social media so much!

Crazy

It was decided that Michael would start Aqua Therapy for his stroke rehab.  Each day that is about three hours gone.  Not complaining but my "me" time was cut and I really need the "me" time.  This type of therapy is helping his so much.

Meanwhile my Mom, 83 years old fell in a grocery parking lot.  She got banged up good BUT received a high ankle sprain.  So trying to keep her off her feet, elevate her feet, ice, and relax was like trying to blow a bubble in a wind storm.

Crazier

At this time I am a servant to two, I said two adults who need me and sometimes at the same time.  I am just one person and my limits were really stretched.  In addition I had my own things that needed to be done.  So my blog, social media, etc got neglected.  I was in withdrawal.

Gone

Last night we all agreed that I would be able to get caught up with all my online loves today.  Well the thought was good while it lasted.

Mom decided to make chicken salad.  She called for my help to reach a bowl.  She called for my help to fix get the food processor and another call to get it going.  A call to stir the salad.  A call to put it in a container.

I looked over at the kitchen sink and just about freaked out.  So there I was on my free morning doing tons of dishes.  I could have unloaded the dish washer but why bother something else would come up.

I told Mom to go get into her recliner, prop up her feet.  Well she told me she forgot her drink, a Crystal light mixed with Cherry 7-UP.  I took it to her.

Back to doing dishes.  Honey can you put my Tet hose on?  Got her hose on....back to dishes.  I hear, "Oh shoot!"  I ask what?  "I forgot my ice pack."  Got the ice pack.  "Honey I hater to bother you but my pain pills are in my bedroom and I should take one."  Medicine given.

Michael, wanted his drink refilled, some trail mix and me to fix his computer.  All done.  Dishes finally got done.

Ready for a nap now but the chance is finally here.  Mom is sleeping, Michael on the computer. ahhhhh peace.

Don't get me wrong love them both but a gal needs her "me" time.

Revealing Vintage, Antique Stash

Sharing up close and personal some of my vintage, antique stash.  My basement and closets are full of so much more but I can only set out so much.

Two smaller vintage, antique pictures/photos.

A vintage style bird cage with a hanging votive cup.  I bought it off of Facebook at Old Tyme MarketPlace

Vintage/antique Shakespeare's book

Distressed vintage candelabra  

Beautiful antique china plate.  I can't find my plate stand but I will.  It is just perfect for the decor.  One piece of my stash.

A picture from 1939 that I had as a little girl.  A vintage treasure that grew up with me.  Aren't the doggies so cut?

Vintage metal embroidery hoop with a decoupaged magazine picture of a barn scene.

Looking at this little toy tin chair I get so excited.  My favorite piece of all the vintage, antique stash I have.  I adore this little chair.  I don't know a thing about it but I hug it!

Reader's Digest page decoupaged onto wood.  It is a vintage piece as well.

Antique dresser scarf with delicate pink flowers embroidered. 

Vintage, antique music box.

Vintage music box.

Vintage picture of a rose.

A vintage toy tin plate, Ohio Art, and one of my toy teacups I had as a child.

A vintage toy tin plate, Ohio Art, with a antique tin and vintage make-up.

Antique glass bowl filled with rocks that Dustin collected and polished and sea shells from out vacation to Surfside, South Carolina.

An antique wash stand with a 1940's white candle lamp, antique scales, vintage books, my baby bottle, small dresser scarf, and a piece off an weather vane.

Putting DE-COR Back Into Our Home

Remembering the joy of buying our first home and I did that as a single Mom.  I was not only proud & excited I was anxious to get it the way I wanted.  So many decor ideas of decorating flashed through as I was constantly brainstorming setting in my head.

Dustin's Memorial site is here

The house was bought on April 15, 2005.  My son; my only child was killed in a car accident on June 8, 2005.  It was that devastation that took any desires I had for decorating.  I bought the house so he would have something when I was gone not the other way around.

About two years later I met Michael and soon he moved in with me.  Just as if he had said it yesterday, "Are you going to move in here?"  There was nothing on the walls or out.

Slowly some of my treasures came out of hiding but not much.  Lately blogging sites, friends, Pinterest, Hometalk have given me inspiration and God has given me strength to start putting huge word DE-COR back into my home or for the first time in my own home.

One of my greatest loves is vintage, antique and JUNK!  Nobody would be able to know that looking at my home.

Remember I have Mom living with us who likes vintage but LOVES Early American, Michael likes all furniture finished to a high gloss and left as wood, the manly look.  Eclectic is truly the rhyme and reason in my decorating.  All needs are pleased.

Now that I have rambled on forever have a look.  Our home is lived in, we are not like all of those beautiful blogs with the perfect house, furniture and pics.  Why hide the fact that we live in our home so what you see is who we are.

A little corner shelf that has been distressed and nicely displays a vintage teapot, blown glass pumpkin, and a Monet teapot.  My home town ins known for The Pumpkin Show so somewhere there just had to be a pumpkin in the DE-COR (decor).

The mantle which by majority voting, was not allowed to be painted. I used a vintage table scarf to brighten up the space.  My brother Billy (who was killed in Vietnam in 1968) and Michael's (my fiance) pics are not going to hang there.  They are both in frames that only hang so they are hanging out on the mantle ledge for now.  Once I fix the frames they will go nicely with the decor on the vintage WWII Trunk in front of the fireplace.  The decor of our home is all over the place as I said, eclectic.

An old rugged, vintage box was hung to show off some tiny vintage treasures decor.

Michael's toy box from his childhood is lightened up with a antique table or dresser scarf that I instantly fell in love with.

The trunk turned side table adorns some of my fav items.  My rocking horse that I got for Christmas hen I was two years old.  It is an old thing just like me!

Chicken Wire Lamp Shade Tutorial

The vintage repurposed floor lamp from yesterday's post was the main "job" to do.  You know how it is when you buy a must have lamp with no shade and then finding the right one can be grueling.  The cost of a lamp shade is ridiculously high.

I had to turn my creative juices on to flow.  Ah-ha I will make it out of chicken wire, muslin, and chenille bedspread fringe.  My first try was a flop with the chicken wire.  Good ol' Mom who has been there and done that for more years than I can count came to the rescue.  When we work as a team I get the inspiration and ideas and it's up to her to figure how we will do it!  lol  Poor Mom.

Are you ready for this?  Let's go!

1)  Getting the chicken wire a nice round.  I used the lid to my charcoal grill as a pattern and used a marker to trace around the lid.  Please note I have never made one of these or seen one made so I was winging it as I went along.  Wear gloves and long sleeves or you get all poked up like I did.

2)  Once it is traced then it is time to use the tin snips, wire cutter to snip the wire along the marker.  Tricky but doable.  This was 24" round.  At this time use pliers to fold all of the sharp ends in or snip them off.  This will make arranging the fabric much easier.

3)  Fold the circle cut chicken wire in half as evenly as possible.

4)  Fold into half again.

5)  One last time fold in half again and run your hands down the ends or seams to almost make it flat.  I stepped on it to make sure it was as flat as I could get it.

6)  I opened the fold now to see if the process was working.  Remember this was a trial and error process.  So far so good.  Once opened you see how it is taking the shape of a lampshade.  Please note that you can work the shape as you go once you get the fabric draped over it.

NO matter how I tried I could not get this picture turned correctly.  So sorry but it still shows how it should be.

7)  My choice of fabric is always muslin as I love, love really like it.....ok for real I love it!  In the basement was a hobnail chenille bedspread that long ago I wore out having it on my bed and washing it so much it got thin.  sniff sniff  I hated to retire it.  It has been out of retirement from time to time for projects.  Oh, back to the fabric for the lamp shade.  I thought the fringe from the chenille bedspread would be so completely awesome, utterly over the top and make the muslin come to life.  So I had to grunge my muslin and fringe.  I used a mixture of coffee, cinnamon, allspice, and at the end a touch of my natural walnut stain.  They soaked for about three minutes.  Time to wring out the material and get to dry.

This is the total amount used for all of the wrung muslin.  Pick a spot pour a small dab, rub with the bottom of your spoon.

8) Removing the fringe which should have been done before grunging but.....to take off the fringe you will need a widget, razor blade, carpet knife.  On the wrong side snip a few threads loose then pull and it all comes off.

9) Cut your muslin or fabric using the same object you used to shape your chicken wire.  This time I used a pencil to trace.  I ironed the muslin slightly to make sure it was the right size.  Pictures are not ironed.

10)  Attach the fringe to the outside of the muslin.  Mom did this as I haven't found a needle and thread yet that fit my fingers.....anyway.  She did this by hand but you could sew it on.  See how it is ever so slightly ironed?

I found an old light pull and placed in on but want to find something else later to top it off.

11)  Work the chicken wire to shape until you are satifsfied with the look.  Take your fist to round it out.  The ambiance is so warm and cozy.

Taa-daa!  There you have it a Chicken Wire Lamp Shade by Nancy Davis with My Eclectic Loft!

Materials Needed

• chicken wire
• tin snips, wire cutters
• pliers
• black marker
• pencil
• fabric sized as needed 
• fringe if wanted
• grunge solution

I have been asked many times about my home made walnut stain.  Gather the walnut hulls (the green part) add to water and let soak for about a week or more.  This is very strong on fabric and you just need a very small dab, size of a dime or smaller.