I’m going to have to show you a previous post today. It was ONE OF THOSE DAYS… ( I don’t know how to make an emoji with a scrunched up nose face, but believe me..if I knew, I’d use it…)
We have been working for days like dogs to try and get our yard sale for my church all organized and sorted and ready to roll this Friday and Saturday. There is a ton of work that goes into making it an incredible sale… It’s a yard sale where the proceeds go for Missions to help out the various missionaries our church supports. Last year’s yard sale brought in over $4300…and it’s all done on a donation basis. We just ask the people to give what they’d like when they find something they want and it all goes for Missions. We have some very generous customers who come every year and it’s a big event.
Well, enter the weather… it is pouring right now and it’s supposed to be rainy and thunderstormy for the next 2-3 days. There is SO much work that goes into the sale and to have the rain spoil it is a little disheartening. Last year, even though we had a great sale, it rained on us the first day. There was stuff that was ruined and it was just a big mess to try and get cleaned up for the Saturday crowd.
So after much thought, the decision was made to postpone it for 2 weeks… somethings going on next week, so in 2 weeks we’ll try again. This will give us extra time to do more sorting and organizing and find some nicer tarps or coverings for the tables just in case it rains…
Also, another thing to hinder it was my hubby…He plays a big role in the yard sale… hauling tables and setting them up, bringing things up from the basement, picking up and hauling furniture, making sure things work, and MUCH more…
The last week or so, he hasn’t felt good… couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but just didn’t feel well. A few days ago his right leg began hurting in the back of his calf. He said it pretty sore and he was even sort of limping on it. It started swelling up and he thought he had pulled a muscle in it or strained it somehow. It was getting worse and this morning he was begining to get concerned because it was hurting very much in the back of his calf and was hot to the touch. He’s had 2 bouts with blood clots so he’s pretty in tune with his body… He decided to go to the doctor and see what they thought. The PA he saw said she was 90% sure he had a blood clot and for me to take him straight to the Emergency Room. I did and then we waited… for 3 1/2 hours… finally they did a doppler and unbeliveably, but very thankfully, they said there was no blood clot. We were sent back to a room to wait for a doctor to see him. She decided to send him to have an arterial ultrasound thinking maybe a clot was deeper in his leg. Well… again it came back negative. So they sent us home… so we’ve been at the hospital all day, and we still don’t know what’s wrong. We’ve prayed and trusted the Lord as our healer and yet, it still is a mystery to us as to what might be wrong. SO… we could use some prayers if you’d feel led…
SO… it’s now 11:45p.m. and I’m going to have to share a post from before that I hope you won’t mind. I bought a big brown dirty cabinet last year at our yardsale and turned into my favorite piece I’ve ever painted.. my sister was here when we did it and it was transformed into a piece that I have in my living room now…
Here’s that post…
My New Blue/Gray Painted Cabinet…
My sister is here visiting from Pennsylvania and we started and finished a big project today that I just had to share with you. It’s got absolutely nothing to do with dolls or fabric or sewing, but I’m still sharing it anyway. Cindy has more talent and creativity in her little finger than I do in my whole body. She is very gifted when it comes to painting, refinishing, distressing, knowing her woods, the right kind of paint, and the list goes on and on! She is seriously the most creative and talented decorator I know! She knows her stuff and she made my stuff look great! You may remember this big brown, dusty, dirty cabinet I bought from our church yard sale…
[If you click on any picture it will enlarge.]
A few days ago my hubby and I cleaned it up and got the cobwebs out from the corners of it, and wiped it down with a disinfectant. It was filthy and even had a snake skin on the bottom shelf. Eeeewww! A brown recluse spider came out from the back and started crawling up the piece… my hubby grabbed my flip flop and let’s just say “the spider is no more!” Now, I’m happy to report to you that it doesn’t look like that anymore!
It’s B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l with a capital “B!”
The first thing my sister did was come over to my house to “assess” the cabinet in person and see exactly what I had and where I wanted it to go. She said that would determine what color I might want it and what type of finish to use on it. I thought I wanted it in my dining room, so we tried it there. It was okay, but didn’t make my eyeballs pop out so we played some more. Maybe it would work in my sewing room…yes, possibly paint it and I could put my dolls behind the glass to keep them from getting dusty. That was a so-so idea too, but Cindy said it seemed like sort of a waste for such a pretty piece of furniture. She’s the expert so we tried it against the wall in my living room just to the left of my big windows. B-I-N-G-O!!! Yes, that’s the spot! Once the location was determined, it was carried to the back of my house and we began! My mom even got in on the action!
If you click on any picture it will enlarge.
I already had some blue/gray paint and she said it would work great. Yay…no trip to Lowe’s; we could get started! I also had some lighter aqua colored paint that we could use on the inside. She asked me if I wanted it painted “perfectly” or did I want it to be sort of “rustic.” At first I couldn’t decide, so she showed me “rustic” with her paint brush and I said “Yes!” Not pristine painting, but having bits of the brown show through in a sort of haphazard way. You just sort of get small amounts on your paint brush and extend them in long strokes so it doesn’t cover every single spot. She did lots of criss-cross hatches with her brush and somehow it just worked! I’ve never seen anything go so quickly and transform into something I liked so much! It was incredible. The faster we painted, the faster we wanted to get it done…SO WE COULD DECORATE IT!
When we were all done, we waxed it with Miss Mustard Seed white wax and it gave it a very nice feel!
We carried it back to the living room and started to play. First we just stared at it and I even jumped up and down and did the little kiddy clapping of the hands! You know… I just loved it and all it was doing was sitting there, big and empty. It sort of changes colors with how much light is in the room. Sometimes it looks blue/gray and sometimes it’s a softer greenish blue.
Now this is where Cindy just shined! She started gathering up things from my house; you know taking this bird from here, this stack of books from there, a glass something from this shelf, bowls from another cabinet, and somehow she came up with this! I can’t believe it’s all my stuff rearranged this way. It makes so much more of a statement than it did where I had it scattered all over the place!
…and a few more things…
I don’t have the glass put in it yet because George was going to add a few more of those little clips to hold the panels in. But that’s all that has to be done to it.
Here is a better shot of “my pretties” with the doors open…
I used to collect vintage collars in lace and other fabrics. This was a black velvet one that I put behind a little convex picture frame I painted. Toile fabric was used as the background, so I guess this IS a sewing post after all… :o)
[When we got done, we went back over to my mom’s house and Amy (Erins’s sister and Hannah’s mom), had made the most wonderful dinner…alfredo lasagna, sweet potato casserole, a salad, ciabatta bread, and puff pastry strawberry shortcake with whipped cream. It was so good we couldn’t stop thanking Amy for it! Everyone has their talents and Amy’s is in the kitchen!]
Now I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea…painted this way, but it’s my style…or it’s becoming my style. I like it very much and now I’m ready to move onto something else… let’s see, will it be the chair I have stashed upstairs, the other chair in the living room waiting for a coat of paint, the headboard, the claw footed table in the sitting room, the antique chest in my bedroom… oh well, I guess I’m not lacking in future projects!
Our house is a work in progress…no flooring yet, trim is missing around many of the windows, and many other things still have to be done, but this cabinet has inspired me to make some curtains for starters… Hey…that’s a sewing post I can share with you!
UPDATE:
We finally got the glass panes put in the cabinet and here are a few pictures I took of the cabinet “ALL” finished!
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Nothing changes our life as much as something going wrong with our health, Jeanne! Tell me about it! I’m so sorry to hear George is not in the “pink” and certainly hope things get better for him. I was thinking about you yesterday, because our weather on TV was showing terrible storms for Carbondale and around that area. Well, we had it too, and the day was really a bummer in the weather department!
I remember that post, and love the way the cabinet looks now. Such a nice, sturdy and substantial piece of furniture really makes a difference in the room. Of course having Cindy help to decorate it didn’t hurt!
Prayers coming your way !
Thank you Linda,
It’s always a little scary when something pops up in our lives out of the ordinary. George made another appointment with a different doctor this morning.
It has been pouring all morning so I know we made the right decision about postponing the yard sale.
I don’t think there’s been a day go by since I painted that cabinet that I haven’t stopped and looked at it and thought wow what a neat piece!
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, Jeanne, I am sending my prayers and good thoughts to you and your hubby. I am hoping that all will be well with him. (HUGS)
Thank you Christine
We truly do appreciate your prayers…thank you so much!
Blessings, Jeanne
It sounds like you both have been physically working way too hard. You need to recruit a group of “youngsters” for the heavy lifting and moving. I’m glad you were able to postpone the sale. The rain is a blessing this year, isn’t it?
You and George are most definitely in my thoughts and prayers today. Take care and rest today… if you can. <3
Cindy —
I appreciated Jeanne’s helpful comment that we could get to your site simply by clicking on you name (this works only if the name is in color, indicating a link) and was so happy to see a delightful outfit, including handmade shoes. It’s a lovely site. Thanks to Jeanne for the tip.
Thanks for visiting my site Marilyn. My Little Darlings love it when I crochet them their summertime ballet slippers. It’s a nice break from their cool weather boots.
Hi Cindy
Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers today…we truly do appreciate them.
The rain is much needed …it just would have been nice to have had the next 3 days dry…but its okay… a 2 week break will be welcome…
Blessings, Jeanne
You and George are certainly in my prayers and that this will heal and turn out well.
I think the story of the brown cabinet is the best too. It turned out beautifully.
Also, glad the yard sale was postponed for a bit considering the weather.
Hopefully George can take some time to rest for the moment.
Take care.
Thanks Paula,
Waiting 2 weeks for the yard sale will be nice…now that I think about it…we could both use some rest…thanks for your prayers…
I do love my cabinet too. There isn’t any furniture this year for the yard sale like my cabinet…maybe 2 weeks longer waiting will bring in some new stuff…
Thanks Paula,
Blessings, Jeanne
As you answer these posts, please keep us up on George’s diagnosis and progress. He deserves the best (and he has a wonderful family, so he has something he deserves) and we want him well and pain-free very soon.
You said earlier that having the sale in April seemed to you to be better timing. Think about that. If you keep being rained out or having to deal with extreme heat, April might be a better choice. People are accustomed to having a sale right after the 4th, but if you have two weeks, you could ask your best sign makers to design and make some large and interesting signs announcing that the summer sale will be a spring sale next year.
Thank you Marilyn,
George made an appointment with a different doctor but he has to wait for 3 weeks…
As hot as it has been lately…anAprilyard sale sounds pretty nice to me!
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
I hope George has plans to see another doctor today for a second opinion. Can’t hurt and may help. I’m glad the sale was postponed and he will have time to recover. I think Cindy is right: You two work too hard and might recruit some younger helpers to train and keep the projects going. Best of luck with the sale in two weeks. Never worry about the posts; we’ll gladly wait. Just stay safe and well
Love the cabinet. Wish you had the Salvation Army Store we have here as they had some wonderful armoires a few weeks ago that would have been wonderful to be painted and used for storage for all kinds of things for all of $130. Wish I had room for one. .
Hi Susette,
George did make another appointment today with a different doctor. Since they said it wasn’t a blood clot, he went to work today but said he would take it easy.
Ooooooo….I’d love to visit your Salvation Army Store! Sounds fun!!!
Thanks Susette,
Blessings, Jeanne
Praying for George, Jeanne. I’ve had a bout with leg and knee pain lately myself, and at times it has been really bad. We just can’t take health for granted. Some rest for the two of you might be a good thing.
Thanks Ann,
I’m sorry to hear you haven’t been feeling well…being under the weather is no fun.
You take it easy and we will too!
Blessings, Jeanne
I agree with Susette, a 2nd opinion is definitely in order. I’ve read that a deep staph infection can cause the same symptoms. Is it worse today? Nausea? Antibiotics may be in order. Hope George is much better today.
I think putting off the sale is a great idea for all concerned. More time to get things ready and perhaps more donations.
Love the cabinet.
I only wish that we had color film back in the mid fifties. As I remember, that rooster wallpaper was a brilliant pink with red/yellow/black/green. Must have gone with our yellow painted cabinets, green linoleum floor, and solid yellow tile with green. My dad built our house with the help of his father, nights and weekends. Was paid for when completed. My grandfather laid the linoleum.
Thank you Joy,
Since the hospital said it wasn’t a blood clot my hubby went back to work today but he did make a new appointment with another doctor. He said he would take it easy today…
I’m thinking a break from all the work of the sale and waiting might be a very good thing after all… It might be rainy again in 2 weeks but it might NOT… :o)
I think your rooster wall paper is very unique and I bet it was really cute at the time… it sounds like it was all color coordinated with everything else in your kitchen!
Thanks again and many blessings to you,
Jeanne
Sorry to say this, but three weeks! If it is still swollen after work and he has a fever, demand to see someone immediately. Hopefully, it will be much better. I get so preturbed to hear of these long medical waits.
Thinking of you and your husband.
I’m with you, Joy. Might be infection. Yes, a fever is trying to tell one something, especially in an adult. Yes, thinking of Jeanne and George tonight.
So sorry to hear that George has been feeling unwell and for your long, stressful day at the hospital. You both will be in my thoughts, and I pray that all will go well with you as you draw comfort from faith and family. Perhaps the rain and deferment is divine intervention? God works in mysterious ways.
Thank you for revisiting this older post and allowing us a peek at the pix of your cabinet once more! It really is a charming piece, and I can see why you are so pleased with it. A lot of love and care went into it. I especially like how the paint colors seem to change color with the light, giving each viewing a different look. Have you and/or Cindy rearranged your “pretties” since then? I have a friend with a similar hutch who enjoys using it to display her collection of seasonal decorations. Her array of Santa Claus figures is particularly delightful.
Take care, Jeanne, and try not to worry. God is in control (Isaiah 41:10). Hugs and prayers to you–
HI Anne,
It’s bad enough when you feel terrible but then to have to wait for such a long time… that makes it even worse it seems…
The Lord is the center of our marriage and lives, and we totally trust in Him to work this out.
I’m glad you enjoyed the cabinet a second time… I truly do love it and am so glad I was able to get it last year. I think I’ve added a few extra things in it, but not too much… I like it just the way it was first arranged.
I could arrange my hubby’s nut crackers in it at Christmas… I’ll have to think about that…
Thank you very much for your kind note, Anne…
Hugs back to you,
blessings, Jeanne
Prayers….
And, if he can, George should try to keep that leg elevated as much as possible….
Thanks Charlotte,
My hubby has been trying to stay off of his legs as much as he can…I appreciate your prayers…
Blessings, Jeanne