C h r i s t m a s T i m e

What started out to be a fun family day of Christmas shopping and hot chocolate turned out to be a chaotic scramble to just make it to the shopping center.

 

 

I truly think every single Atlanta shopper was traveling to the exact same shopping center at the exact same time!!!  2 hours.... 2 hours we sat in bumper to bumper traffic.  ugh.

 

 

 

 

Finally, after 2 hours we arrived... The beautiful City tree standing there in all it's glory, was absolutely beautiful.  I somehow managed to check everyone off my Christmas list in a matter of hours... along with 50 bazillion other people standing in the checkout lines.

 

Several hours later we headed home....

 

It was late and we were starving... but the city at Christmas is a sight to behold... everything twinkles at Christmas.  The storefronts were spectacular.

 

After dinner we were back in our quiet little house.. whewww what a day.  I was exhausted. 

 

The next morning I started our Christmas decorating.  I started in the family room with our fireplace. I wanted a whimsical fun mantle this year.

 

 

 

our dining room

 

 

 

 

 

and this years family tree...…

 

 

 

My Thanksgiving break was a frantic hustle.. however, so much fun.  Now back to school tomorrow!!!

 

Happy Holiday's!!!!!

 

 



 



 

 



Window Awnings and Chocolate Banana Bread



 

The alarm sounded this morning at 5:30 reminding me I had 1 more day to force myself out of bed and roll downstairs. Alexa is my morning companion.. "Alexa what is the weather ?" , "Alexa play John Legend radio" as I pour the water into the coffee machine. In the dimly lit kitchen I sit with a cold cloth on my face while waiting for the coffee.  My summer break starts at 2:00 p.m. today... 8 weeks of NO ALARM...visions of home projects dancing in my head.  Finish the front lawn landscaping... purge the garage (again) and last but not least painting my bedroom.  Another project I have been really considering is front top canvas window awnings.  The bedrooms are upstairs and they never get cool during the summer. 

I am thinking something like this..... I will be sure to let you know which style I finally decide to install.

and I touched up my faux brick steps and walkway....  I would highly recommend this quick instant gratification project to anyone wanting to add a little curb appeal.

oh! and another little bonus................

Last night I made a loaf of chocolate banana bread.  Not just any banana bread but CHOCOLATE banana bread.  The perfect end of the school year, share with your friends sort of munchie goodness. 


  

 

CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD
Makes 1 loaf

5 ounces unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed well
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or coconut oil)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (I used half milk and half bittersweet)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the bananas and vanilla extract and mix well.

Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Mix to just combine, then add the vegetable oil and mix til the batter comes together. 

Fold in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes (start checking around 45) or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Don't overbake! It's better when it's fudgy.

Let cool completely before slicing. This cake freezes very well, should you find yourself with leftovers.

till next time,
 

Power in your thoughts.

Thought Power.

The power of our thinking is magnified by the sheer volume of thoughts that go through our minds each day. Thousands of words, hundreds of phrases, judging thoughts, assuming thoughts, emotionally charged thoughts, all passing unquestioned into our minds and hearts. Some have estimated that we think approximately 60,000 thoughts per day.

Did you ever consider where your thinking patterns originated? You weren’t born pessimistic, self-critical or skeptical. Most of your thinking patterns were learned. Your prior experiences determined your beliefs about yourself, the world, and how you fit or do not fit into the world. Your beliefs then determine your thoughts

I just wanted to say HI !

Life has a way of getting ahead of me sometime.  I have so many things I wanted to share ... A few home updates and a few life updates...but... let me preface by saying.  In no way is this little space in the universe a boastful place; it is a place where I chronicle my life and my DIY projects.  I however do believe that our environment brings us energy; good and bad.  Clutter makes me anxious, unorganized makes me depressed.  Bright spaces and surrounded by things I truly love give me so much positive and creative energy. 

and bold patterns make me happy



meet Jacob....

I recently (re) painted the kitchen cabinets...and pretty happy with the results to these 30 year old cabinets.  I have yet to put the handles on the cabinets.... hopefully during fall break I can conquer that feat. Here is a picture of a few changes in the kitchen.... I really am happy with the results.

and for the most exciting news !!!!!!!!!!!!  THIS



YAY!!!!! I am going to be a  "G"ma..... January 1, 2019.....baby girl Emerson Leigh Strickland.  Cloud nine...  the only words I can think of to explain our hearts.... a little girl... a beautiful little angel is coming to bless our family and we are so thankful!....

Oh and one more thing before I forget.. a project I am working on.... hopefully next week I can show you guys the finished product....here is the "inspiration"... I love this faux window with a view...

my faux window pane photo.........

my 5 ft X 5ft photo

I have sprayed the frames a charcoal grey/black....this will go in the family room downstairs... i will show you guys the finished project once it is complete...

till next time.... shine bright

Sandy









 



......... and i'll be me.

Happy middle of the week update...


A couple of small changes in my little corner of the universe...  A large NYC print and a few changes in the dining room....
as a single empty nester, it is me... me alone....except when my skillset  that is limited  to a paint brush, screw driver, and a vision... I call the best handyman ever (Julio).... he has literally saved me from myself so many times..... however..... that extra large canvas above the sofa!!! came on a roll... no frame... Yep...me and the ladder and 3 hours later... I am so pleased with the print... it is surprising how one thing can change the dynamic of the entire house...  

 

 

 



and as I collapsed on Friday afternoon... I couldn't help but notice how my body just happened to coordinate with my surroundings!!!!    school is out in 1 week!!!!!!!!   and the countdown begins.!





Be Back Soon! 

Michelle Adams style crush

every. single. thing.

Michelle Adams Michigan house... oh my gosh.

Everybody has a dream house.... some are spacious estates or a tropical paradise... mine is...this charcoal grey, Ann Arbor, double windows, sidewalk lined street, beautiful casual home of Michelle Adams. 

those bookshelves....the small and cozy comfort of this beautiful room... PERFECTION

oh, by the way...  I finally got  new chair.... the same color as the old one, just a different style, however... it sits like a cement park bench... it was an online purchase... so I am pretty much the owner of an upholstered park bench... return shipping was crazy expensive....

 

 

and..... wild things growing in the kitchen...

I hope you have a great rest of the week...

 

till next time,

 

 

weekends ....Ikea

Friday afternoon....
Finally the weekend, and no definite plans...but a lot of fun ideas.  First, replace my old dressing table... it is awful.. I mean really awful... which means a quick trip to Ikea....and that leads to a trip to
Julianna's crepes in midtown.  (a long history with that little place).

 

 

 

Julianna's is on the corner, of my old neighborhood.  I loved living in the city..... 

 

but for now..... 

 

c.o.f.f.e.e.... it has been a crazy busy week........

 

till next time,

 

 

 

 

 

 













small spaces suits me well..

I have been away from my little blog for quite some time... I wanted to stop in and give a few little life updates as well as a few house changes. 
One of the most rewarding hobbies for me is making something old new again.  Staining furniture, painting, wallpaper, moving furniture from one room to the next... I love it...mindless therapy.  Instant gratification.

 

Things I love... that is the way I do everything.  I know instantly if "I love" something.  my heart literally sings when I surround myself with art, music, color and people that I love, and who doesn't love Lennon? 
I have several canvases stored in my garage, some of them were used... I just painted a few of them charcoal grey and a little mod podge later... new black and white art. 
The dining room picture gallery was added after Christmas.  My daughter Loren painted the black and white abstract...some of the others were gifts from friends...
Our Christmas this last year must have been themed "ART",  My middle daughter Cori, loved this print of Bob Dylan.... I enlarged the print and mounted it on canvas....She was so surprised..

 

 

 

I made a mural for a closet door....Bansky is another one of my favorites.... my daughter caught a quick pic of me chasing rocky the food snatcher...

 

one other little change... if you can't find what you want .... make it...  I loved the black and white mixed pattern .. but I couldn't find it ... or reasonably priced... I found 2 smaller mixed patterns that I thought would work well for the little space.. one trip to home depot... one roll of carpet tape.. and

it was exactly what i wanted in that little room...wild neutral patterns.  and for $40.00... i don't even care if rocky rolls all over it...."which he does"... and one other little addition... wallpaper... high ceilings and ladders ... (and 2 glasses of wine later)...done!

 

 

Things around here are going nicely...Loren graduated and is currently working in marketing, Cori will be graduating very soon (psychology)...and Erin loves her retail management career..  I couldn't be more proud of the strong independent women that have become....they are "always in all ways beautiful"...  xoxo

 

till next time...

 

 

a tidy-ing up sort of day

spring break has been a little (to say the least) stressful... auto emission fail, mechanics for 2 days, tag office, my first traffic ticket in 30 years.... and still recovering from the worst fall i have ever had...gosh, the hip didn't heal as quickly as i had hoped.... but... today i really need to get "stuff" done...

mirrors and table wiped and polished....windows sparkling....

 dusting and fluffing... vacuuming.... scrubbing.....and also a little planting and pruning..

a much needed break....

biscuit and raspberries...
even though i am staying inside and domesticated today.. it has been quite blissful..... netflix and sweat pants planned for the evening...

enjoy your day...
till next time,
Sandy

be good to yourself...

depression... it is like a vacuum sucking the energy right from your body.  i knew i had to make major changes in my life. i remember a quote "don't expect to see a change if you don't make one"... and boy did i want a change.  of course winter is the worst of all times possible .. its cold, dark and wet, but it wasn't getting better.. so... one day.. as soon as climbed from my bed.. i made a decision. "lets get on with it"... inhale/exhale...... as i was dressing for the day, i thought about some changes i wanted in my life. things i wasn't enjoying or things i wanted in my life... and i started a simple journal.  its strangely peculiar how predisposed we are, and how getting to know yourself is almost odd.. to live inside yourself and not really know yourself, and suddenly you are awakened...i didn't not want to like squash, but no matter how hard i try.. i don't like squash... i don't like to swim, i do know how to swim, but i don't like swimming...we simply are who we are.  music, food, clothing, hobbies, books and even our friends... i realized so many of these personality traits are based on exposure.  (exception; squash and swimming)...
so, that brings me here... exposure....
i recently had a conversation with my oldest daughter Loren... we were talking about life and choices, and the fact that in the end it is the experiences that you will cherish not the "things".....

she agreed and we decided in 2016 to create 16 experiences.. something neither of us had done before (but wanted to).  we started a list..
our first is a picnic lunch on the atlanta beltline

our second is a carriage ride in charleston..girls weekend getaway..

one of the places i hope to add is a night on beautiful cumberland island. ... the planning of our 16 experiences for this year has been so much fun..the list continues and is updated weekly...

some other recent changes.... health, mind and body.  habits are so hard to break.  I have succeeded in breaking several... (a little pat on my shoulder).. i am quite proud of myself.

eating much healthier, my bad eating habits were catching up with me... feeling sluggish and slow.  I have started with the basics, water, water, water and raw veggies... oh and raw honey.
i was speaking with a friend at school, i couldn't say if it is a placebo effect or a positive body response... but, i can promise you.. something happened... it started 3 days after i started using raw honey and cinnamon ... i felt energy coming back into my body... energy i haven't had in quite a while.. someone even commented to me that morning as i was getting on the elevator.. "you look like sunshine on this rainy day"..  i smiled as the doors closed thinking to myself... finally, i am on my way back...
 xoxo till next time
sandy