by Jen | Dec 31, 2013 | Fun Style, Inspired Style, Interior Decorating, Life Reflections
Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins
Wind’s in the east, mist’s coming in. Like something is brewing, about to begin. Can’t put my finger on what lies in store, but I feel what’s to happen, has all happened before. -Mary Poppins
Remember a moment from being a child when everything lay before you and the world was a magical place? Childhood innocence wrapped in sunlight and joyous laughter—where all you had to do was grow up and all your dreams you imagine now would be real tomorrow?
Sort of bittersweet isn’t it? You know as well as I that with all those sunbeams come lessons. Lessons being a more positive way to say disappointments and mistakes. And then you grow up. You remember with a smile and you get on with the business of life. But isn’t it wonderful…magical if you will, when you remember?
Last night I saw Saving Mr. Banks. For those of you who don’t know it’s about the trials and tribulations Walt Disney faced while trying to work with P.L. Travers, the author of Mary Poppins. Walt spent 20 years trying to get the rights to the book to make it into a movie–Saving Mr. Banks is the story of how it happened. It’s also glimpses into P.L. Travers childhood memories of her father –sunbeams and lessons, magic and then the business of life.
I think Walt Disney must have been a smart man. He didn’t want to commercialize childhood so much as he wanted to take our memories of innocence and give them wings. Sometimes it is ok to just fly over the bad, to minimize it, and let the magic moments take on a life of their own in our imaginations.
Go see the movie.
Here’s to imagination and the joy of tomorrow. Happy NEW year everyone.
Jen
Up where the smoke is all billered and curled
‘Tween pavement and stars is the chimney sweep world
When there’s ‘ardly no day nor ‘ardly no night
There’s things ‘alf in shadow and ‘alfway in light
Chim chiminey chim chimeney chim chim charoo good luck will rub off when I shake hands with you.
by Jen | Nov 25, 2013 | Art, Fun Style, How To, Inspired Style, Interior Decorating
How about a sheet of wrapping paper that costs about $3.95, is poster size (20″ x 28″) and fits into a standard store bought frame (meaning no custom framing)??????
I bought my frame (above picture) at a thrift store with a hideous picture inside of it. I replaced the picture with a piece of wrapping paper called Plumes.
Cavallini Plumes Wrapping Paper
I paid $6.00 total for my mantle art.
Here are some sheets of paper that are categorized as “wrapping paper” from Paper Source–all of which are about $3.95. Most are made by Cavallini Paper (found at Paper Source and at www.Cavallini.com)
Keep scrolling down. Mind the gaps. We had a few spacing issues.
- Cavallini & Co La Maison
Cavallini & Co. La Mer
Cavallini & Co Palmistry Guide
Cavallini & Co Le Jardin
Cavallini & Co Pasta Italiana
Cavallini & Co Natural History Birds
Paper Source Feathers–This one varies in size.
All these and more can be found at www.paper-source.com for about $4. These papers are also at museum gift shops and other little shops. Inexpensive and awesome.
by Jen | Nov 20, 2013 | Fun Style, Inspired Style, Interior Decorating
www.gufffurniture.wordpress.com
My heart sings as I sort through these pictures. Lockers rock. If I can’t purge it then I like to hide it. Lockers are lovely. Call around to junk shops/antique stores to see if they have any. I have found them for $100 and less. I also have found ugly metal cabinets and spray painted them. Check out the scrap booking aisle of your local craft store and they almost always have metal plates engraved with numbers that look just like….locker numbers. A little crazy glue and you are all set.
Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is an old metal gym locker…
www.littlebluedeer.com
http://brocantebysusanne.blogspot.com
www.sydandharper.com
www.seaboldvintagemarket.blogspot.com
www.mylovelythings.blogspot.com
http://www.sydandharper.com
by Jen | Nov 3, 2013 | Fun Style, How To, Interior Decorating
Hi there! It’s November! How ARE you? It feels like, well, since October since we’ve talked. So much has happened. We had Halloween. I raced through the neighborhood following a local Dad who was determined to hit every porch lit house, do both sides of the street simultaneously, cover every inch of the neighborhood, cut through alleys to avoid “traffic”, and take no prisoners. It was awesome. We did in one hour what normal people do in two. I’m looking for a patch that he can wear (you know like cub scouts) so people are aware of his candy prowess. We had family visit for the weekend. Then there was the silent auction I went to where I entered about 45 (seriously) “raffles” and won NOTHING. A Christmas craft fair that was HUGE. (What happened to Thanksgiving?) A Hallmark Christmas movie marathon (again, Thankssssgivvviiingggg? Hello?) Wrapping it all up with little boys running here, there and everywhere and then the last minute homework. It’s going on now. I’m hiding. Now we are caught up. Let’s get down to business.
I found a swell 1950’s kitchen cabinet for my sister in law and her beau. I freshened it up a bit with some paint but there was still a void. No dazzle. We needed a little dazzle darn it. Which brings me to one of my favorite things—unexpected awesomness. The Peeky Peekerton kind.
I know. It’s dazzling isn’t it? I mean who would expect to open a drawer and see so much style? It makes me smile. It’s going to make them smile. It’s peeking at you every time you open the darn drawer or cabinet. All it is are old calendar pages, a map, and a razor blade. I stuck those bad boys in, creased it into the edges, pulled a razor blade out and sliced it. It’s not perfect. It’s not centered. It took 5 minutes. It looks better than old wood. I’m sorry! It looks AMAZINGly better than old wood.
I keep a box of cool paper, old road maps, old calendars, magazine pages with coolness, and whatever else calls my name that can “tear” and it always comes in handy.
What drawers and cabinets can you awesomify? Life’s too short to be boring.
