Before and After

A couple of months ago, I posted about a painted kitchen cupboard door I found at my local junior college flea market. I loved this cupboard door and hung it on my kitchen wall.
The post included a picture of the cupboard door, along with a picture of my sideboard. I had two comments about my post and they both said the sideboard needed something.

They were right.

I had been looking for a small side table lamp for the sideboard. And you know how it is, when you really want to find something, you can't. I finally found a little lamp at a garage sale. Not exactly what I was looking for but I thought it might work. For $3.00 if it didn't... no problem.

The picture I had hanging above the sideboard was a picture of The Last Supper that was my grandmother's. I liked it there, I didn't love it there. I was garage saling with one of the Flea Market Friends a couple of weeks ago and could not pass up a painting. It was a picture of a tea cup and teapot, in some really great purple blues and yellow golds. I loved it. It was way more than I usually spend at garage sales, but I loved it. As you know from reading my blog, the Flea Market Friend and I host regular tea parties. The picture was me. I brought it home and decided after looking at it I would replace The Last Supper with it.

The only problem with it was as I looked at it hanging above the sideboard was it was too small. I remembered I had a picture of the lavender fields in Napa Valley that a dear friend had given me. I had it hanging for along time in my entry way but took it down when we painted a few months ago. I brought it back in the house and decided that it looked perfect with the tea cup, teapot picture.

So... here's the final reveal....

BEFORE

After

I love it!!

What do you think?

chris

Follow Me!

Like many other bloggers I have added a Linky Follower button to my blog. Google Friend Connect is going away as of March 1st.

I am hoping that those who read my blog will "Link Up" and continue to follow Perfectly Printed!!

Chris

Love is in the Air

I have just a few pictures to share from Valentine's Day. I am not sure if it's my camera or me but almost all of my pictures came out blurry!!

First I swapped a Valentine with Deb from Garage Sale Gal, she was my swap partner for an Autumn Swap. She created a lovely Valentine note card. I know I will not write in it..ever! I usually don't do too much decorating for Valentine's Day, but after the few little swaps I was in this year I have some great Valentines to use next year.

I also participated in a Valentine Swap hosted by Viv from Viv Out on A Wim. My partner was Fran from Dolls Are My Canvas Within My Soul. She made this amazing Valentine doll for me, along with sending a pattern of hers to make my own doll, and many handmade Valentines.

I joined one other Valentine Swap that was hosted by a woman named Jackye. I was introduced to her by Jane who blogs from Aralia Jane. I swapped Valentine Tags with 14 other "artists".

Just a few of the great tags I received from this swap.

Mr. Math gave me some beautiful roses on Valentine's Day!! You can't really tell from the picture, but the roses are a dusty rose color. Something a little different Mr. Math thought. Neither of us are big Hallmark card type people, and we often don't exchange gifts. So when he came home with the roses it was a nice surprise!!

Hoping you all are still feelin' the love!!

Chris

Valentine's Day!!

What a nice surprise!! I came into work at 5:30am this moring, after struggling to get out of bed and out the door.

The four gentlemen that work for me had this sitting on my desk. They must have put it one my desk last night, since I'm the first one in.

They know I have two favorite, favorite things.... Venti Hot Teas with one bag Calm and one Refresh, and Venti Caramel Frappuccinos both of course from Starbucks. I am trying to avoid the Frappuccino's. Too many wasted calories. But I do LOVE them!

The note with my Valentine gift said... To keep you on the right track, a little something for you that looks similar to your Frappuccino!! Happy Valentine's Day!

Nothing like working with your conscience!! Four of them!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Chris

The Gift!!

Well we had our Valeninte Tea today and I gave out my "special" gift. Like I said I my last post, a lot of the ladies bring little trickets to share with each other. And today was no differnet!!

One of the ladies made us each a quilted heart shape pin!

There were ten of us today and we had a wonderful time. The food was great and the company even better. As people arrived they put their tea cups at their place and the food they brought to share on the buffet.

I placed the "special" gift I brought for each of us at our place setting. We all opened them together.

I had been saving the Altoid boxes for awhile just in case I needed them and today they sure came in handy.

Inside there was a charm bracelet that I had made. Well, it wasn't like I made the charm or the bracelet... I picked out the heart charm and then used a straight wire type pin to secure it to the bracelet.

My plan is to create a charm and hand it out to the ladies each time we get together. I think in the next year or so we should have a nice charm bracelet to remember our get togethers and each other.
One of our original members of our group stopped coming to tea about a year ago. She has Alzheimers. She is quite young, but very sick. I see her every couple of weeks, and she still knows who I am, but it is almost impossible to carry on a conversation with her. And she knows it. Alzheimers... what a horrible disease!
I will drop off her charm bracelet on Tuesday when I take her Valentine to her. I know she will love it! She will always be a part of group!!

A couple of pictures of the table decorated for the tea.

Just love this veggie tray with the heart shape Jicama!! The ladies in our group are so creative!

Once again I am reminded of how lucky I am...our ladies group was only together for about two hours or so, but it's just long enough...We reminisce, take a quick poll on how many watch Downton Abbey, and share pictures of grandchildren.

Life is good.

Chris

It's Only Wednesday!!!!

Is this week ever going to end?

It is a crazy week at work and it's only Wednesday. I can think of one word that will give you some sort of idea of what this week is like for me...... AUDITOR. And all I can think of is all of the other things I'd like to be doing besides being at work!

The ladies are gathering for a Valentine's Day tea at one of the Flea Market Friends house this Sunday. Between the two hostesses and the invitation maker, we usually have a favor for our guests. We either put them at their place setting or in a basket or on a tray by the front door and they can take it when they leave. I know the Flea Market Friend is planning something.

It's not necessary for us to have more than one favor or special treat for our guests... we wouldn't want them to be spoiled!!!

But I have had some ideas floating around my head and I just can't shake them. The first thing I'm working on is just a little paper favor that I will put some goodies in.

The second one is something that I've been thinking about for awhile. It doesn't have anything to do with Valentine's Day, it just happens that our Valentine's Day tea is where the ladies will get the gift. I can't say too much in this post because a few of the ladies read my blog!!

But... What I Can Say Is This....A Line From One of My Favorite Movies, Christmas Vacation...

It Is The Gift That Keeps On Giving!!!!

Chris

Molly Made Me Think....

Molly O'Riordan and her family moved from Ireland in 1963 and bought the house next door to my family's. Molly, her husband Jerry and their two children moved to the United States to help Jerry's brother manage the bike shop in our town. My folks and I loved having the O'Riordan's as neighbors! And I know the feeling was mutual. Every year the O'Riordan's had a wild St. Patrick's Day party, and my dad bar-b-qued a mean turkey for Thanksgiving that all enjoyed.

We all know how things change....Molly's husband passed away in 1977 and my mom and dad retired and moved away after 25 years of living next door to Molly and her family. They of course kept in touch over the years. I check in with Molly a few times a year and after my mom and dad passed away a little more often.

This year I sent Molly the usual Christmas card. It was a picture of my family at daughter number 4's college graduation.

Molly called and left a voice message thanking me for sending the card. She said to me, "Christy, you have a wonderful family, you are a very lucky girl."

That started me thinking... I am a lucky girl. Sometimes in the rush of the day we forget how lucky we are. Sometimes we compare ourselves to others. I find myself looking at blogs and think how perfect some of the houses and rooms I see are. Right out of a magazine. And sometimes I look around my home and think I'm not sure I'll ever have granite counters in my kitchen, or a sun porch. Or a big front porch. I've always wanted a big front porch. I may drive an 18 year old car, and there are no power windows or locks in my husbands car, you know nothing fancy, and sometimes I'm not sure we'll ever retire.

But...

I have a wonderful family and wonderful friends. I have a good job and a nice house. I have very small porch that I love to decorate for holidays. And I try and keep the old white tile in the kitchen clean and shiny. And Mr. Math and I are happy!!

And tonight I am thanking Molly for making me think...

I am a lucky girl!!!

chris