Painted Garden Rocks

Today my daughter and I painted rocks for her garden as markers for the various vegetables she is planning to grow.  We chose several rocks from our back yard, made ourselves some tea, then set ourselves up with paints and brushes and scrolled through Pinterest looking for inspiration.  There were so many ideas (isn't there always on Pinterest?) that it was difficult at first to decide.

garden rocks in various shapes and sizes (wash and dry the rocks)

Finally we decided to paint all the rocks black as a base coat for a consistent look

We used acrylic paint

and tried to find rock shapes that suited our subject matter

Here is our final harvest of garden rocks.  

This was a really lovely way to spend a dull and chilly afternoon together.  It was a fun and easy activity that let us be creative with what we had on hand, without a big time commitment and only a few paint brushes to clean up afterwards.  Within a couple of hours we had everything completed and her garden will look pretty all summer long. 

Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing each of you a beautiful day,

Sandra

I'm Home

In so many ways I think that I've always been searching for home.  As a little girl I would often imagine that my bedroom closet, which was narrow and very deep, was my home.  Behind the row of hanging dresses and blouses I created a cozy, secluded nest for myself where I could draw and dream.  One of my favourite things to draw where cross-sections of ant homes with their narrow tunnels leading to an ant kitchen, bedroom and playroom.  I could visualize how safe and secure an ant might be tucked away underground in her little refuge.

As I outgrew the limited space of my closet, my bedroom became my haven.  My mother gave me the freedom to decorate as I chose, allowing me to choose paint and wallpaper.  I went through a phase where I Mod-Podged newspaper onto all the accessories of my room and another where I painted a full wall mural of a tree and a hippie (I know, I know!!).

I loved the security of my room.  Behind the closed door.  I could relax, I could think, I could sit and listen to the crackly songs from a tiny grey transistor radio.  As a teenager I could take my inevitably cranky self away from the concerned faces of my parents and be miserable and vent onto the few lines offered in a fabric covered lockable diary.

I wonder now if I was drawn to study interior design less as creative expression and more as a longing to create a home. Forty years later I think, yes, that was always it.  I've longed for the safety, security, freedom and relaxation of being truly home.  And I've wanted to help others find it too.

A quiet corner for crochet

 I've been married, married with children, single with children, married with children and other people's children and now I live alone.  In every case I've longed to create a home, a refuge for myself and my family.  I've painted and fixed up and sewn curtains and chosen furnishings.

 But I'm realizing more and more that while I craved a refuge from the world I also craved a refuge from those I lived with.  I need a lot of solitude to offset the effects of being surrounded by others, even those I love.  A few years ago I wrote a post about work."leaving the work place".  Now I realize it was never work itself that was the issue, it was that working meant I lacked solitude, I was surrounded at work and at home, there was simply no possible way to have enough time alone. I felt trapped and not working afforded me a way to be alone while my family left for the day.

This explains, I think, my near giddiness on mornings like this one when I wake up and notice the gauzy bedroom curtains lifting and falling against the morning breeze, how the predawn lightness fills my room and turns the wooden wardrobe a honey-yellow, how even the outdated blush-pink tiles of my 1963 bathroom are absolutely beautiful and perfect.  It helps me to understand why I am moved to tears, yes, actual tears with gratitude for this house, this brick and mortar building has been my home for nearly 25 years.  But at a deeper level I'm moved to tears with gratitude for this life, this single life, a life that is beautiful and (mostly) feels balanced with a mix of working and socializing and then the sheer delight of coming home to the hushed solitude, a cool refreshing oasis from the world.  A place where I am relaxed.  A place where I can be still and know, know that God has me and that I finally have a soft place to fall in a sometimes harsh and overwhelming world.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

I hope that you too find your home,

Sandra

Weariness and Pressure - A Little Relief

Its  August, humidity levels are soaring, the sun is hot and the air feels thick.  The only  refreshing time of day are those wee hours of the morning between 5:00 and 6:00 am.  In the early light, before the noise, pressure and heat of the day, the air is cool and refreshing.  The world is quiet and reverent, anything louder than a whisper feels out of place.

5:30 am August Sunrise 

Sometimes our lives feel like the heat of high noon;  a scorching sun hangs over us,  humidity closes in on us, the path we walk is void of shade.  We thirst but refreshment does not come.  We grow weary.

We've all known weariness, grief, fear and even if we are not in the midst of that weather pattern today, we will probably experience it again at some time.  What helps me is to physically get out of the house (or office, or classroom) and look up.  That's all, just look up at the sky.  Watch the clouds, or the birds or a plane moving across the blue, watch the snow fall, feel the rain on your face or the breeze against your skin.  Look how vast the sky is.  The world is so much larger than our pressing concerns.  This realization alone begins to help me  put my fears, anxieties and heartache into perspective.  The problem doesn't disappear but with perspective I can see it more clearly for what it is.  A problem that I cannot seem to escape indoors, evaporates a little out of doors,  be it in a true natural setting, or even just the sidewalk in front of my home.  I can breathe a little more deeply, it isn't all about me or my issue.  I can look outside of myself, beyond my life.

Let the vastness of the sky help to put your concerns in perspective.

If you find yourself in the heat of a pressing concern I encourage you to take yourself outside, breathe deeply, look up and watch the clouds see if you can let the breeze carry away a little bit of the heaviness in your heart.

Thank you for stopping by today at My Turquoise Kettle Life,

Wishing you a refreshing day,

Sandra

"Be Good To You"

I've known my friend Wendy for years; she always greets me with a big embrace and when we are parting her words of wisdom are always, "Be good to you!"

The past two or three weeks have been particularly hectic surrounding work and I knew that going into this busy period I would have to be diligent about getting enough sleep, eating well etc.  But I have also been looking for ways to nurture my senses and my soul.  Here's a quick list of ideas that have really helped:


Creating two serene spaces to practice yoga




I cleared off my back deck and have been using that platform to do my morning yoga.  Its private, quiet and peaceful.  Feeling the morning air and a slight breeze is refreshing, a great way to begin my day.

I also tidied up my indoor yoga area and created a small

 "alter" with candles, some pretty stones and little mementos  

that have special meaning to me.

Sitting down to drink a cup of tea



I know it seems silly but I'm usually carrying my mug of tea from room to room (often forgetting it and finding it cold, hours later) while I multi-task.  So I've been allowing myself the privilege of sipping my tea quietly without jumping up (okay, trying not to jump up to do something).  I've found that sitting outside on my balcony with a book is very, very relaxing.

A bedside bouquet

Last weekend I indulged in a small bouquet of fresh flowers.  Normally I would arrange them and place them on the kitchen table or counter but this time I found a little china milk jug, trimmed the stems and put them on my bedside table.  Waking up and going to sleep beside a pretty bouquet feels absolutely luxurious.

Unscheduled time

I'm a maniac with my planner.  Yes, I'm the one with the blocks of time colour coded and hi-lighted, the tasks all scheduled in for the week in their appropriate time slots.  So I'm trying (really trying) to leave space for a day, or even just a morning or afternoon totally open.  This isn't easy, all those lines with the times of day beside them cry out to be written on!  

Being good to yourself may mean something totally different to you than what it means to  me; it could be a manicure, a drive in the country, a lunch with friends or an afternoon nap. Whatever those special indulgences are for you, make some time to allow yourself the luxury of enjoying them; you deserve it.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today,

Be good to you,
Sandra

Jam Jar Door Bouquet

The art of welcoming.  We go all out to welcome our family and friends into our homes, we want them to know that they are cherished and appreciated.  But how do we welcome ourselves home at the end of the day?
What  could be nicer than a fresh bouquet of summer flowers to greet you (and your guests) every time you walk through your front door?

Jam Jar Door Bouquet

Materials list:
small jam jar
plastic pill bottle that fits inside the jam jar
picture hanger/nail
picture hanging wire
flowers/water

• Wrap the wire around the top edge of the jam jar tight enough that it won't slip off.  
• Leave enough wire to create a loop that will hang from the nail.  
• Drop the pill bottle inside the jam jar and fill with water. (I use a pill bottle inside because the smaller diameter requires less flowers and creates a "tighter" arrangement.)  
• Arrange cut flowers and leaves inside the pill bottle. 
• Nail picture hanger into door at suitable height (wooden doors only).  
• Hang your summer bouquet and change flowers when they begin to wilt.

If you don't have a wooden door try hanging your bouquet from the  mailbox
or your civic number sign

Last week I used forget-me-knots in my arrangement and this week its daisies.  I love the idea that the bouquet will change throughout the summer according to what is blooming in my garden.  Why not practice the art of welcoming yourself home, is there anyone who deserves it more than you?

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Be good to you,

Sandra

White

My early morning walk today and all things white:

My Garden Gate

Dandelion on a bed of crab apple petals

My little white dog, Jessy

White moon in the morning sky

White apple blossoms

Bird droppings.  White and kind of artsy don't you think?

Amazing how what you focus on suddenly appears everywhere you look. Just for today try to keep your attention and focus on all things good, worthy and beautiful.

Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

May your day be full of goodness,

Sandra

Discouragement, a Rake and a Spade

"What is a weed?  A plant whose virtues have never been discovered." 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last weekend was the big gardening weekend.  Since our geographical location makes it risky to plant before mid May, Victoria Day marks the beginning of gardening season.  A walk around the neighbourhood this morning confirms that while I worked all three days of the long weekend at the boutique, every single one of my neighbours were out beautifying their properties.  

So it was this morning that I found myself, rake in hand, standing in the center of my backyard overwhelmed and discouraged.  The grass is full of weeds, as are the flower beds, even the gaps in the patio tiles are sprouting long weeds.  I'm trying to grow grass over what was last year's vegetable garden but it is sparse. I'm probably over-tired, and looking from one eye-sore to the next isn't helping. 

One eye-sore ....

.....to the next.

I need a plan because there are hours, days and probably weeks of work back here and I am only one woman with a rake and a spade.  So I decide to begin to the right of the entry gate and work slowly on the flower beds around the edge of the property.  I will only look at the area directly in front of me and make it as weed-free and trimmed as possible.  I tell myself, "Do not look at any other area of the yard, only these few square feet in front of me."  It really is a matter of focus; don't look to far ahead, deal with what is in front of me at this moment.  How many times could I benefit from this approach to gardening and to life? 

After four hours I have one garden weeded and trimmed, two garbage cans are overloaded with weeds and both lawns are mowed. I'm sweaty, exhausted and dirty but my prior discouragement has somewhat abated and perhaps this summer I can actually rescue this backyard; even if I am only one woman with a rake and a spade.

Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Plant yourself a happy day,

Sandra

  

   

From "No Man's Land" to cozy deck




BEFORE




AFTER

Earlier this summer we decided to remove a huge pine tree from our back yard, the tree was encroaching on our house, our neighbour's house, becoming a hazard and completely blocking the view (and the light) from my studio window.


With the tree and stump removed we discovered a huge amount of space that had previously been hidden and unusable.  Also, we finally had a little sunlight in our yard.   I set aside a small space that will become a vegetable garden next year and decided to use some of the remaining area to create a low level floating deck. 



With the pine tree gone all the ugliness of this corner of the yard is exposed!

Tree cut up and ready for removal




A short section of fence (to the right of the chair) used to conceal a heatpump...
that fence had to go too.



I staked out an area for the deck 10' x 10'.....



 and leveled the ground.



Geotex fabric to prevent weed growth and a layer of gravel to ensure good drainage

With the site prepared the fun work of learning to use a table saw and mitre saw could begin.  I watched several You Tube videos on deck construction and borrowed a book from our library.  I was a little stubborn in my determination to build the deck alone; I just needed to prove to myself that I could learn to do something new.  My husband was a great sport about it and let me do just about everything.  He did wheelbarrow in several loads of the gravel and held the end of the twelve foot long planks while I sawed them.  My parents too were an encouragement, every couple of days they'd come by to see the progress and cheer me on. 



A simple frame of 2" x 6" planks supported by patio slabs



Its taking shape but there was too much of a drop to the existing walkway




Building another small 3' x 6' platform solved the problem of the difference in height

I painted a couple of Adirondack chairs and planted some big daisies.



Here's how it looks now, a nice sunny spot for a cup of tea

Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Sandra

Falling in love with a Fabric

A fabric store is really a visual and tactile feast; when I need to "fill the well", as author Julia Cameron of The Artist's Way explains it, I trot myself over to the fabric store and soak it all up. That's exactly where I was a couple of days ago. I didn't have any intention of buying fabric but they were having a "buy one meter and get two more free" promotion. Well doesn't that make the visit more interesting?

I always begin at the back of the store at the discount wall and work my way to the front. When something catches my eye I begin to visualize what it might become. It is like a huge buffet for the imagination. About half way through the store I found "it", a fabric so beautiful and so perfect that the ideas of where and how I could use it began to gush to the surface of my imagination like a geyser. Within minutes my mind had my entire home upholstered in this beautiful floral Waverly fabric.

Waverly floral fabric

 

I bought my one meter and got two free. I cycled home with the fabric in the basket of my bike so that I could admire it on the way. At home I discovered that I had a half meter of plaid fabric that coordinated quite nicely. Yesterday I recovered the cushions of my wicker furniture.

Here are the before and after photos:

Before:

Before reupholstery

Before: Faded and tired looking.

After:

Newly upholstered in blue Waverly fabric

 

A fresh and summery spot for relaxing

 

I still have one meter left and I've spent the morning draping it over tables, furniture, pillows and windows. Some people have theme music; I think this may become my theme fabric, the fabric of my life. In that case, perhaps I should get a few more meters.....

Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a day brimming with ideas,

Sandra

 

 

Observations

The other morning as the sun was peeking over the tree tops and casting long shadows on dewy lawns; I grabbed  my camera and headed out just after six a.m. for a quick walk.  I got some nice shots but this is the only one I really wanted to share with you.

Close up of a wild rose
S. King-Allikas

Sometimes I am in awe of the intricacies of a simple flower, the colours, textures, the way the light filters through the petals. 

How often I look without seeing, without taking the time to really notice.  How often I listen with divided attention and miss really hearing... birds..... the wind in the branches.... people speaking from their hearts.  It is only a moment but then the moment is gone. 

It is a challenge to be open, to see, to feel, to listen, to be present.  My mind wanders, it grumbles and finds fault, it makes judgments and creates worries.  As some wise person has said, "The mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master." 

As this new week begins, may I be better able to still the chatter of my mind.  May I be able to listen to the quiet beneath the noisy surface and to see more deeply than what my eyes alone observe.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today,

Wishing you a peace filled day,

Sandra

Prince Edward County - Ontario

Prince Edward County Sunset
S. King-Allikas

Not to be confused with Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward County is located south of Belleville, Ontario.  "The County" as it is referred to by locals, is a home to dozens of wineries, farms, quaint towns and huge sand dune beaches (Sandbanks Provincial Park).  Although it is only a four hour drive from Montreal, it is a very well kept secret and few people from this province have ever heard of it.  Shhh...  

My husband and I spent a week there recently.  We rented a private waterfront cottage (actually a lovely home with all the ammenities one could want -Cottage Rental ) and spent a week touring the county's back roads, cycling, kayaking, soaking up the sunshine, scenery and peacefulness of this idealic location tucked away along the shores of Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte.

If you haven't already decided on a vacation destination for this summer perhaps these photos will inspire you. 



Once a hops farm, this is one of the barns on the property of Gilead 66, a local micro-distillery
S. King-Allikas 

Stroll along the sand dunes that tower over the waters of Lake Ontario
Sandbanks Provincial Park, S. King-Allikas

Enjoy gorgeous sunsets from a waterside deck
Prince Edward County - S. King-Allikas

Prince Edward County Sunset
S. King-Allikas

 

Why not consider a long weekend or a week away this summer.  Escaping our daily surroundings and routines allows us to come back refreshed and more appreciative of all our blessings. 

 

Thank you for stopping by at My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

 

Wishing you a lovely day,

 

Sandra