Share the Love

Jumping into the "Share the Love" party over at

"Very Merry Vintage Style" today!

This is the love that I will share...

My son, Richard

 (Confirmation, Age 16)

He turns 18 in one week and he's graduating from high school in 9 days!

I can't believe how fast time flew since he was little!

It was yesterday he was in kindergarten and I was going to the first awards ceremony where he won "Computer Whiz Kid".

We had just moved into this house and he had just discovered Playstation. He spent many hours playing "Spyro the Dragon" back then and collecting Pokemon cards.

 (Last Memorial Day at Lane Orchards)

As the years went by, he traded video games for a guitar.

He was just named a Senior Superlative. I'm not sure exactly what it means, but it's an honor and I think it has to do with

good citizenship.

The nomination came from a teacher he has done many

hours of volunteer work with.

He helps coordinate Red Cross blood drives and does sound

work for school performances.

As a theatre student, he performed in plays for local

 school children.

Obviously, I am very proud of my son. He's grown into quite a young man. He's funny, talented, personable and polite,

both intellectual and spiritual.

 (preparing for Senior pics last fall)

As an only child in need of playmates, he never met a stranger and was never too shy to make friends easily.

Now he works part time and is saving to buy his first car. He's planning to major in music in college. He manages his own band and hosts their rehearsals in our basement.

I know he will excell at anything

he most loves doing!

I see how driven he is to become a musician and I am slightly jealous that I didn't want some of my dreams that much

 when I was his age!

But I want all of his dreams for him as much as he does...

Maybe more.

(Richard, after his performance as "Hamlet", age 13 and my sister, Janet) 

I know he'll be in this nest a while longer but I still miss the little boy who played with trains, read Harry Potter and rode his big wheel down the driveway as much as I enjoy knowing

the grown up version of him!

My Mom

It's pretty popular on Facebook to post a picture of your mom as your profile picture on Mother's day. Sadly, the only digital images I ever got of my mom were taken while she was really sick, right before she died.

My mother was a beauty. One day not too long ago, my sister said to me that our mom was really beautiful and that she and I were just pretty in comparison!

I decided to find whatever picture of my mom that I could for facebook that would show how lovely she was.

I found and "took a picture" of this picture since I have no scanner at home. This was taken by my dad and she was probably about 30 years old. Not a "stick" of makeup on! Beautiful black hair, eyes shining.

I'm not sure if my sister and I were even born when this was taken but this is how I will try to remember my mom, not as 72, not with cancer.

Happy Mother's Day Mom! I miss you! We love you!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms I know!

Serendipitous Happenings!

Happiness is finding a poster print you love on Victorian Trading Company for about $5.00!

Sadness is realizing that it's a weird size so you can't just pick up any old frame for it, and a custom frame would be really expensive!

Happiness is finding out today that you have that size frame in your antiques booth and no one has bought it! Plus, it's a real Victorian antique frame!

I gave it a coat of heirloom white paint to cover the previous owner's shoddy (not shabby, but shoddy!) paint job. I decided that the spray paint was too shiny so I covered that with craft paint in Magnolia white. The glass got cleaned really well. 

Here is some of the detail of the frame.

I will probably take it to Michaels or another frame shop to add the backing and hanging hardware. The nails that came out of the back of the frame were 100 years old and I don't want to work with them!

I had to trim about 1/4 inch off each side of the print with my exacto knife. Now it fits perfectly and I can't wait to hang the picture!

This was a serendipitous happening! I love those!

About a year ago I found a vintage chandelier that I will hang in my dining room. As luck would have it, it was in a friend's antiques booth and the price was very reasonable so we both won!

The finish on the chandelier was black with gold trim but the details were gorgeous and it was covered with crystals.

I did not take a before pic but it was alot darker than I needed.

I have never painted a chandelier and whenever painting anything for the first time, I get nervous and this causes me to procrastinate!

I remembered this tutorial on Karla's Cottage. Karla Nathan can apparently paint anything easily and has many other tutorials on her blog that might be helpful if you are like me!

I had my helper!  Miss Orangina Kitty.

You can see her playing around in the background!

I used the oil based spray primer and once dry, I glazed. I ended up not liking my glaze choice. I covered the chandy with white craft paint. I like that it looks coated, like it's been painted before, like it's old!

Here is a picture taken while I am adding the final coat of white paint and then the polyurethane.

Once painted, the brassy details look lacy. Perfect!

BTW, I sold the chandelier that I am replacing this with on Craig's List Friday night, a first for me.  It worked out perfectly.  My son and I disconnected the old chandy and this one is waiting to go in it's place.

I'll be doing a dining room reveal post soon to show off my new romantic wallpaper and this chandelier! 

Hope everyone has a wonderful week of creativity and inspiration during this Easter Season!

xoxo!!

Jennifer

Linking to Cindy at My Romantic Home