Spring Break is over and I am back!
Thought you might want to see what I did on my spring break...
NOT!
I did not go anywhere for spring break. I wish!
Instead, Mr. M&M's son came home to make a mess for a visit and
then Mr. M&M's sister came to visit.
Unfortunately, my computer is in my stepson's/guest room. This makes
it impossible for me to get online when that room is occupied.
All last week, in other words.
By Sunday, I had developed a case of the DT's from not visiting
any of your blogs!
This week, I will be attempting to make the rounds as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, I thought I would invite you to visit the room where I blog.
Originally, it was my stepson's room. Having only one child, a daughter,
I had no real experience with teenage boys until Mr. M&M and
I got married.
Suddenly, I was in uncharted territory.
And it was scary!
One of the scariest parts was his room.
Here are some pictures of his attempts at decorating his room.
Trust me. These pictures are tame. I often felt that I should
don a hazmat suit before entering!
After T went off to college, I immediately reclaimed this room to serve
as a guest room/downstairs office.
My father was the inspiration for the decor. When I was a child, my
Dad traveled all over the world, always bringing back wonderful
gifts from different countries, as well as pictures,
home movies, and stories galore!
Here I am in an authentic Dutch folk costume, complete with
wooden clogs, that he brought me. He also brought me a sari from
India, but we never did figure out how to put it on!
He took my mom with him on a trip to Egypt. These images spurred
a life long desire to visit this fascinating country. As a young girl,
I even tried to teach myself hieroglyphics!
So, I wanted this room to look as if the person who occupied it
had also traveled the world, gathering special souvenirs
along the way.
A woven trunk with leather straps, well worn from so many journeys.
An ethnic metal pot, complete with mythical creatures for handles.
Images of ships cutting swiftly through foreign seas, with only the sea
and sky for companions.
Hand carved souvenirs from places where artisans still create items of
beauty, using nothing but their hands, a knife, and a dream.
A bold tribal image, bargained for in a dusty village, a thousand worlds away.
But an image that transports one back to that magical place in a
heartbeat of time.
Perhaps shells from beaches both near and far. And, of course,
a great book to while away the hours.
Carved creatures to trigger memories of lands shrouded in mystery.
And, of course, a globe to plan future adventures.
In reality, though, almost everything in here came from that exotic
source that we know and love:
Goodwill!
I repositioned the bed along the wall to form a day bed of sorts.
That opened up the floor space so that I could add this trunk
as a coffee table. I use it for storing out of season linens, so it is
multi-functional!
Layering lots of throw pillows from Ross made it very comfortable
to sit on, making it more like a sofa.
The black desk was purchased inexpensively at Target
years ago. I used it as my office desk when I had my
shop so it has special memories for me. I love to continue
to use it in my new blogging adventures!
The desk chair was purchased at Goodwill for $14.91.
The fabric has the same color and coarse weave as burlap so
I snatched it right up. If I ever get motivated, I would love to
add a stencil to the seat back!
I found this enormous chest of drawers at the Humane Society
thrift store for $40.
I love all of the ornate carving on the drawers and doors.
I have seen so many of you paint pieces like this and transform them into
something new and updated. That is my goal for this piece once the
weather warms up.
IF we can get it out of this room. It weighs a ton!
The mirror was a Goodwill find for $39.93. I haven't decided
yet if it will stay in this room or if I will paint it and move it to
another room. The metal doors are hinged and will actually close.
(I leaned a framed print from Goodwill against the mirror so
that I could take pictures without being reflected in it.)
The prints on the right side were purchased at Goodwill for $24.92 each.
I believe that they are old and hand tinted. I would love to take them
to someone who could tell me a little more about their history and value.
The framed map on the left side intrigues me the most. No matter
how hard I tried, I could not get a good shot of it because of
the glare. However, it appears to be very old. It is written in Latin
and you can see the image from another map that is accidentally
impressed on the top left border. It also appears to be hand tinted.
I will definitely need to get some additional information about this
piece. By the way, I paid $8.98 at Goodwill. Woohoo!!
A few final images...
Life Needs More Green Lights
The perfect take away message from this room. Don't let life
get in your way. Live your dream!
Linking to these great parties. Be sure to check them out!
Goodwill:
Ethnic mask $5.95
Bamboo basket with brass accents $5.95
Trunk $39.93
Metal urn $9.69
Metal tray $5.95
Seashells $3.93
Horatio Hornblower book $1.50
Square bamboo lidded box $3.93
Michael Crichton book $2.50
Carved ethnic bird $7.97
Black/cream pottery vase $8.98
Tall carved wooden candlestick $4.94
Carved wooden leaf on pedestal $1.91
Ornate engraved metal box $6.96
Ballard's black file box $5.95
Framed Chinese print $3.93
Computer chair $14.91
Model ship $6.96
Pier 1 plant stand (under model ship) $7.57
Framed antique map $8.98
Ornate mirror with hinged doors $39.93
Carved chest of drawers $40.00
3 drawer organizer $6.96
Carved elephant with brass detail $2.92
Framed print $33.93
Antique lithographs $24.92 each
Set of 3 carved plaques $4.94 each
Globe on wooden stand $29.92
Target:
Floor lamp
End table
Comforter $17.97
Dust ruffle
Shag area rug
Motorcycle print
Black desk
Leather chair
Home Goods:
Lamps on chest of drawers $29.99 each
Sailing ship prints $29.99 each
WalMart:
Lamp with red shade
Wall clock
Ross:
Assorted pillows $9.99-$13.99 each
