dreary:
1.
causing sadness or gloom.
2.
dull; boring.
3.
sorrowful; sad.
I just wanted you all to know that I am still here, but I have nothing to give.
NOTHING!!!!
It has been cold, raining and dreary for so long now ~ that life is just ……. gray.
No color…………. what-so-ever.
I hate it.
If the sun ever comes out again, I will be back.
If it doesn’t,
well,
then,
goodbye. (sniffle, sniffle, sniffle)
this is my mudroom, not very muddy. again, i found the idea in a magazine, just like my kitchen and asked my architect to incorporate it in this area of the house. we keep some of our shoes in the bottom cabinets and the chalkboard holds upcoming birthdates and other important dates to remember. the stairway you see, leads to the media room….. which has no media, it is just an empty room … but i have dreams. but the main reason for this post is to show you the cart insert that I made from some vintage barkcloth drapes i bought years ago when i had my space in an antique mall in Agoura, California! once i learned of these draperies from what i believe were popular in the 40’s & 50’s (correct me if i am wrong) … i couldn’t stop searching for them on eBay~! i did a lot of eBay shopping back in those days. a lot. but i always made a profit on what i bought and then sold.
(below: see the drapes hanging on the hanger on the right side of the doorway!)
that was my little space “Cheryl’s Cottage” (est..2003-2005)
and here was my other space
i stayed busy….painting, and sanding, and sewing, and buying and selling, and thinking, and pondering ….. and then i decided i wanted to leave California and move to Texas and build a house. that’s how i roll………. always looking for what i want to do next ……
crazy – but i have been that way forever – wanting to learn and do something different
so, back to the project
how this came to be is that i was at Canton Flea Market and needed a cart, so i bought one to carry my findings! well, it was UNATTRACTIVE to say the least (below, plastic checked), and a girl like me needed something CUTE!
i didn’t want to pay for something cute so i thought about those adorable barkcloth drapes that i now had sitting in my pile of fabrics in the linen closet.
now, i am no super sewer or anything, but i can sew straight lines and can try to figure things out, thanks to my mother’s genes and home economics in the 7th grade!
so i measured the sides of this plastic insert and cut my fabric pieces, put the “right sides” of the fabric together and sewed my straight lines.
the problem with me though, is that when i want to do something, i want to do it right now ….hence the wrong color thread that i was forced to use to sew on the fringe! i am a very impatient woman that way~ plus my sewing machine was old and it wasn’t sewing the stitches properly, so it took me frustrating hours to get this finished
since, i have bought a new machine
if you don’t know what barkcloth is, it is a thick linen-like textured fabric. check it out on eBay to see all the different colors and patterns
speaking of my new machine, i might as well give you a glimpse of my sewing, gift-wrapping, shabby-chic storage room
the green/white cabinet holds all my stationary and gift wrapping in the drawers and cabinets
and the upper glass cabinets is where all my left-over vintage items from my antiquing days are kept
my girlfriend Susan made the bulletin board, which i took off her hands!
close-up of the bulletin fabric - below
more of the mudroom …..
i love my chalkboard – from Ventura flea market – i think the creator of this was Doug for any of you who still go to Ventura
close-up of the chalkboard detail below….
and this next special piece …. my brother Andy made this for me from a building that they tore down in Newbury Park, California - i don’t really think he knows what this piece means to me – i don’t really think he knows how much i truly love him
i am famous for throwing things away. it is part of my OCD and type-A personality (there are other underlying reasons, but that is for another day). but there are some things that i will never let go of. the heart above, obviously and this little horseshoe below. this horseshoe has been above a door of every home that hubby and i have owned. that is 4 (four) homes to be exact. and along with the horseshoe, there is always a quarter in the corner of the cabinet in the kitchen too!
today is monday. my day off, back to work tomorrow for another long, grueling week, no doubt
…..but for right now, I am ………..
i didn’t mean for this to be such a long post that jumped around …. but you got a bit more glimpse into my world, which i hope you enjoyed ~ and i thank you for taking the time to stop by and always, for your sweet comments!
Have a beautiful week my friends ~ Cheryl
All the Christmas decorations are put away but I keep the sparkle of the holidays around during the cold to keep the warmth of the season going until we start to make the turn toward spring! Winter garland and twinkle lights still adorn my windowsills and the scent of cookies still fill my home. Since it is sooooooo cold outside and my boy and his girl are coming for lunch, I wanted to share a family favorite with you!
This is our “ski” soup that took us through many ski trips to Mammoth Mountain. Every year I would cook it at home and pack it in the cooler for the 6 hour drive and 4 day ski trip. It warmed our tummies and our souls after a day on the mountain. If any of you ski, you know how you feel after 6-8 hours of exerting yourself in the cold!
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs lean ground beef (I use 90% lean – you can also use ground turkey), 3 cans beef broth, 4 cups water, 1 large can (28oz) whole or stewed tomatoes, 1 large can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, 1 medium onion chopped, 5 carrots sliced, 2 cups celery chopped, 1/3 cup pearl barley, 2 cups frozen corn, 1/4 cup catsup, salt and pepper to taste, olive oil to sauté, cayenne to your desired “heat” (1/2 teaspoon to start and go from there)!
In a large soup pot, sauté the onion in olive oil until transparent. Add the ground beef and cook until browned.
Add the beef broth, water, sliced carrots, chopped celery, UNDRAINED cans of tomatoes, pearl barley, catsup, and spices. Reserve the frozen corn until later. Bring to boil (stirring) then reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes (until veggies are tender). Add the frozen corn and simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve with your favorite bread! Simple, fast and hearty!
Tip: if you don’t own one of the little slicers, get yourself one. It takes no time to slice carrots, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, whatever your heart desires!
Today I served the soup with cornbread – here is the recipe I used! Moist and sweet!
Ingredients: 2 boxes of the famous little Jiffy cornbread mix, 1 (14oz) can creamed corn, milk, eggs, Pam! Follow the directions on the box of Jiffy! I substituted the milk with half and half, and you need to bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean!
As an appetizer I served wheat crackers and a log of sharp cheddar cheese and a bottle of red wine!
Ok, three more things that I want to say ~ (1) Girls, always, always wash your wine glasses before you pour the wine! We want them free of anything (dust) and we want them sparkling clean!
(2) I was wondering if any of you recognize the bake ware in this post, from the 80’s? (Cheryl’s been Loafin’ and Cheryl’s Classic Creation). Who remembers the home parties for this particular bake ware that you would order with whatever “saying” you wanted on it! Remember the lovely blues and mauves? YUCK! I can’t remember the name of the cookware, but they swore up and down that nothing would EVER stick to it (it was expensive – for a twenty-something in their first home and baby on the way)….but the demonstration sold me, and the colors were so “in” at the time!!!
IT HAS BEEN OVER 20 YEARS AND NOTHING HAS EVER STUCK TO THIS BAKEWARE!!!!! THAT IS WHY I STILL OWN IT AND USE IT ALL THE TIME. BLUE AND MAUVE OR NOT, IT IS THE BEST BAKE WARE EVER!!!!
LET ME KNOW IF YOU ALSO OWN THESE LOVLIES AND IF YOU REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT AND THE HOME PARTIES!!! What do yours say????
Drum roll please ……………………………………………………………….
and (3) introducing my new GrandPuppy, Bella!!!!!!!!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE a spotted little belly ……
AND A LITTLE ATTITUDE TO BOOT!
Have a beautiful week! ~ Cheryl
Glitter In The Air Lyrics by Pink
(turn up your sound)
Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Closed your eyes and trusted.
j u s t t r u s t e d
Have you ever thrown a fist full of GLITTER IN THE AIR?
Have you ever looked fear in the face
And said…….. I just don’t care?
It’s only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg
The sun before the burn
The thunder before lightning
The breath before the phrase
Have you ever felt this way?
Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?
You’re whole life waiting on the ring to prove you’re not alone
Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?
Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?
It’s only half past the point of oblivion
The hourglass on the table
The walk before the run
The breath before the kiss
And the fear before the flames
Have you ever felt this way?
There you are, sitting in the garden
Clutching my coffee,
Calling me sugar
You called me sugar
Have you ever wished for an endless night?
Lassoed the moon and the stars…… and pulled that rope tight
Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself will it ever get better than tonight?
Tonight
I wanted to wish you all a Very Happy & Healthy New Year!!! Thank you for your kind words, support and encouragement in 2009. Your kindness and friendship have warmed my heart beyond expression. I have enjoyed visiting so many beautiful, creative and inspiring blogs this year and I am looking forward to another year of delight!
2010 ~ can you believe it?
I am not making resolutions, but what I am doing is looking forward to the changes that are coming….
1. the days getting longer (more time to spend outside)
2. warmer weather (really need to start planning for that ~ you ladies know what I mean! )
3. healthier eating/drinking more fluids (no breads, cheese or sugars)
4. gardening (oh, how my rose bushes are going to need me and how I need them)
5. organizing and purging stuff (something I am really good at and love to do)
6. touching upon my creative side (which has suffered due to my job)
7. going to Canton, Texas regularly again (buying cute things for me, not the house)
8. taking care of ME (all those doctor appointments that are overdue)
9. seeing my family (i miss them so much – 2 weeks vacation come April ~yippee)
What are some of the things that you are looking forward to this new year?
I am excited to hear about them !!
Have a beautiful day ~ Cheryl
A Texas home - Christmas Eve
I wanted to share the December 26th post from Curious Girl with you. Beautifully said.
Here is a snipit.
Afterglow:
“call it whatever you wish...afterglow, drydown, linger...the purpose of the hazy time following grand moments of significance is to integrate back to normal with minimal re-entry damage.
“over time and out of necessity, I've learned that the transition is more easily accomplished when the big moment itself is tempered with reality. this is how the last few christmases have been for me. because they are not over the top full-on festivity, it becomes clearer that regular everyday life can be filled with the magic, dreaminess, togetherness, beauty and loving spirit of the holidays. like eating tuesday night tacos off the good china, everyday life becomes fuller with these moments once reserved for specific dates on the calendar. in return the actual big events become less pressured, more sweetly sedate. as celebration becomes a gentle routine practice of beauty and acknowledgement, regular life sweetly shifts from a boring midline spiked with dramatic events to an even and comfortable serendipitous journey.”
author, Lisa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am sure that most of you can relate to the feeling of the “day after”. Lisa’s post struck me so much, that it sparked some things I wanted to say today.
I consider myself someone who looks at the glass half full. Don’t get me wrong, (it sometimes depends on what is in the glass), but for the most part ~ I am a girl who really does see and appreciate the beauty around me each day. I rarely get blue. I guess that is why I am someone who welcomes change ~ and even seeks change. Thank goodness I married a man who goes along with me and my new and sometimes “hair-brained” ideas. Not to say that I don’t get scared of change. I do. But I would rather try and/or learn something new than not try at all. I still say….
“ I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up”
So with all that said, I want to share something that happened on Christmas Eve that touched my heart and made me smile. Me, hubby, my son and his girl were out to dinner eating our fave, Mexican food!! We ordered the exact same thing, fajitas for two, half and half (chicken & beef). At the end of our meal we were saying how good it was and Ms. Megan said “I think these are the best fajitas I have ever had”. That was when my heart smiled. That was the moment I knew why my son had fallen in love with this girl.
You see, that is MY saying. It always has been. It is how I live my life. Not intentionally. I just do. Until that moment, I had never met anyone who had said that before and meant it the way that I mean it. And those who really know me, who really love me and who have really paid attention to ME, know that about me. If you read about the sunsets on my side bar, you will see. “Every sunset I see is the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen”. I have gotten teased about this as far back as I can remember. But it is how I feel at that moment.
It probably wasn’t the BEST fajitas Megan has EVER had. It is not the MOST beautiful sunset I have EVER seen. But that is what living in the moment IS. That was why my heart smiled. My son met a girl that lives in the moment and really enjoys THAT moment. Sigh. :)
This is what I believe Curious Girl was saying: everyday life can be magical like “eating tuesday night tacos off the good china” !
Have a beautiful day!
~Cheryl
Santa came………
and brought hubby and I the best presents EVER......
Our boy & his girl!!!!!
That's all we REALLY wanted.
Brandon & Megan
Wishing you all a merry day!!
xo
Cheryl
Definitions:
1) both bitter and sweet to the taste: bittersweet chocolate.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/piperbole/3788875253/
2) both pleasant and painful or regretful: a bittersweet memory.
The Christmas season is bittersweet for me ~ as I know it can be for many.
The sweetness of twinkling lights in the night, sparkling decorations at every turn, festivities of family & friends, the hustle & bustle of gift shopping, Christmas music and movies that bring back wonderful memories of Christmases past. The anticipation of Christmas Day. The celebration of the birth of Christ.
Amongst all the sweet things that give me joy and a light heart during Christmastime ….. there is a heaviness that I carry. It slowly creeps in and builds. I lost my father 3 days after Christmas, 35 years ago. He was laid to rest on New Years Eve. The pain never leaves. I can’t even say that it lessens. Two years ago, four days after Christmas, my mother suffered a heart attack. She lived through it ~ but a call at that particular time of year was doubly difficult. Last year on New Years Eve, we got the terrible news that my husbands tumor in his lung was cancerous. He is doing just fine. No time is good for bad news, but it seems to hit especially hard during the holidays.
Yesterday, on my way to work while driving on our two lane highway, I was on the phone with my husband and all of a sudden there was a car in my lane coming towards me. What I think was a girl, was trying to pass four cars when there wasn’t even time to pass one car. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I quickly maneuvered into the shoulder while yelling to my husband that someone almost hit me head on. While in the shoulder, she passed me in my lane. I was shaken. Terribly shaken. What shook me was that it could have been over in a blink of an eye. In a blink of an eye during the Christmas season. What would that do to my family. What pain would they have to hold on to during all future Christmas seasons. And for what …. someone’s lack of judgment on a beautiful Saturday morning.
So, I want to say, please be cautious. We can’t control cancer or heart attacks, but there are things that we can control. We can drive safely and keep our eyes open for those who aren’t. We all have so much on our plates during this time of year and so little time to get it all done. But let’s remember what is most important ~ Our loved ones. Being with our loved ones. Please slow down in everyway. Be safe for those who love you and for those you love.
Merry Christmas!
Have a beautiful week!
~Cheryl
Megan & Brandon
I have been looking for a frame for this picture of my boy & his girl. Yesterday, I found this one at target and absolutely had to have it. $4.99 !!! At first I thought I could only have it out at Christmas, but then the more I looked at it I thought it could go through Valentines Day….then I thought, why not through spring and summer & fall. The colors are perfect for all the seasons of trees!! Are they the cutest couple EVER!!!! xo I am so happy – because they are so happy!!
I stopped at the video store last night, after Target, to get a movie for hubby and I. I felt like a comedy and remembered that this was a cute movie….but didn’t really remember much about it. I ADORE VINCE VAUGHN. Actually, if I were younger and single…..I would seek him out. I love his expressions: he is manly and childlike all wrapped up in this large teddy bear frame. YUMMY!!!! This movie is HYSTERICAL. I am going to buy it. It will rank right up there with A Christmas Story as a yearly viewer. BTW: Peter Billingsley aka Ralphie (click here), is executive producer on Four Christmases. :)
My sweet Aunt Winnie (click here to read about her in my Red Door Christmas post) sent me these pictures of my mom & dad from the 50’s. My mom, a BEAUTIFUL platinum blonde and my dad – well, GORGEOUS! and that baby in the picture …..me. My mom was 18 and daddy was 19. Crazy, huh? Daddy passed in 1974 at the age of 38, mommy is 71 now.
And lastly, this blonde is me and the brunette, hubby. This was a Christmas party we were attending, about 8 years ago. I am no longer blonde, hubby no longer brunette. UGH. I was 45 and hubby 52! Crazy, huh? .. if only we could turn back time.
All my life I wore bangs, except as a teen and the last 2 years. I have been thinking about cutting my bangs again, what do you think ? (click here to see me now)
Hope you enjoyed my Blondes & Brunettes!
Have a beautiful week! ~Cheryl
Since my last post, I have added to my “simplicity” Christmas decor.
Please come in for a tour. 
I look forward to coming home at the end of the day and plugging in the Christmas lights and lighting the candles. They both add that special glow to these cold winter nights! …. and the scent of the holiday candles warm the soul (pumpkin, sugar cookie, apple & cinnamon ~ yum!)
I found a cute little Santa towel and Christmas cookbook that I added to the vignette.
I also decided to add a couple of my “restaurant” Dickens Village houses to the mantle above the cook top and sat them in a cushion of “snow”.
The two restaurants are Wong’s Chinese and Italian Ristorante!
What I love about the Italian restaurant is the little side yard with the swing gate. Wouldn’t you love to sit there with a glass of Merlot?
At Wong’s, I picture myself living in the third story apartment. I have always had a fantasy of living above a restaurant in a big city! Always. 
The fireplace mantle
First on the tour, are the Fire House, firemen and Spot! All knee deep in snow.
Ready for any emergency that may arise!
Fresh roasted chestnuts, anyone?
Auditions being held tonight!
This little lad is lighting the way to the Inn.
Come out of the cold.
The Innkeeper will get your bags for you!!
Another little touch that I added were these ribbons to the shades on the chandelier. It looks so lovely at night with the light on. So much so, that I am thinking of getting red shades!!
I want to thank all of you that gave your suggestions for decorating “my” vintage ice skates (from my last post). I appreciated all of your great ideas!! 
I decided to go with the red ribbon for the laces and add a pair of white & red fuzzy socks. Aren’t they just adorable??? LOVE THEM. I don’t know what took me so long to think of using them as my winter decor. But I just love them. I have so many wonderful memories involving my skates and now I can look at them throughout the cold months.
I am going to leave them propped on this bookstand sitting in one of the cubbies of our entertainment center right above the TV. I want to look at them ALL the time!!! Therefore, they will not be going on my front door ~ which some of you suggested. It was a great suggestion, but I want to be selfish and have them where I can see them!!
I thought I would also share the dining room. Simplicity at it’s best! A Christmas wall hanging and a sparkling tabletop tree. That’s it. Just a touch of Christmas.
And lastly, we got lucky because our neighbors across the street decorated like this ! The picture does not do it justice….but it is soooo pretty to look at! I zoomed in so you could get a better look!
Thank you for visiting, I hope you enjoyed the little Christmas tour. Please take good care of yourself during this season of hustle and bustle!
Enjoy the day.
Don’t wear yourself out.
Give yourself a special treat each day!!
suggestions: a hot bath, a cup of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, buy a new lotion, sit in front of the fire, listen to Christmas music, buy a new warm scarf
~you get the idea~
be good to yourself
Have a beautiful week ~ Cheryl
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