No Birthday Pony...Again

Another year of spinning around for 365 days; my perspective on the world has been altered by the spinning.

Yesterday was my birthday... and, once again, there was NO pony.

Gaining a new perspective is always the greatest birthday gift of all. When I was young every birthday was totally ALL ABOUT ME. It took me 50 years to get over that warped view of life. 

I thought the world should give me lots of stuff and allow me to travel to cool places for my celebration or give me a new screened- in porch so people would quit asking why I have a door which leads to no where (a story for another time). 

Frankly, time has taught me that "birthday magic" costs more the older I get, and the stuff which once thrilled me in my youth no longer has the same zing when the calendars' pages flip by faster than an old Cary Grant movie sequence. 

In fact, the calendars' pages turn so quickly now that I am considering using them as a fan to cool my kitchen.

On this year's birthday, even though I gave my own self flowers and baked my own cake...

...and cleaned my house for my own party and made all my guests look at old photos of ME and I bought my own gift (for which my sweet husband gave me money), it wasn't about me this year. I didn't expect the world to alter its course to revolve around me. Instead, I made a decision to embrace my true gifts of...

...a mom who has devoted her entire life to her children and grandchildren, and...

...brothers and sons (missing one plus awesome daughter-in-law who later called me) and nieces (missing one who later sent me a text ) and a husband (who took this picture) and a dad (who is happily in heaven and told me right before he died, "There are only two things in life which are important: family and God") and two dogs which make my life both hectic and sweet and my new finches which are singing as I type and Gipsy the Teardrop (which my husband sacrificed to give to me because he is awesome like that) and Hillcrest Cottage which provides a place to make my life happen.

The wisdom-gift I opened on this birthday was that my true gifts are all around me and that if I am always looking for the next big thing... 

I will miss all the blessing of today.

Hillcrest Cottage in a Magazine

Here's a cool local magazine that I liked even before Hillcrest Cottage got to be a small part.

The June 2013 issue has a great article on area lakes. The sad part is that even I had difficulty finding an issue. In the past I have stumbled upon the magazine and had enjoyed it. I went to four places looking for his issue with no luck.

I can spy with my little eye  two suitcases, a tackle box & my Coke cooler. There are several other photos sporting Hillcrest Cottage wares. Some of the items are from my personal collection, while others are for sale.

My friend Kimberly Cyr Calhoun from Mums the Word was the stylist for the article and filled up half her car with Hillcrest Cottage goodies for the shoot.

It was my first magazine in which to be mentioned, so I wanted to share the news.

Scarlett O'Hara and Lobster Buoys

Thinking about summer today. 

Shades of blue like the Arkansas summer sky on a clear day, but slightly overcast with a gentle breeze so it's not too overwhelmingly hot. 

Shades of blue like the ocean seen from under a beach umbrella's shade. The vintage Maine lobster buoy reminds me of the good seafood meals eaten while slightly burned shoulders are whispering, 

"It was a great day because nothing  but laziness was accomplished." 

Happy vintage art and calligraphy make summer afternoons last a bit longer. When the leaves start to fall and the fireflies have flown away and the cicadas have become silent, a great summer art piece celebrates laziness all year long.

"In the midst of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer." -Albert Camus

I am revisiting a used book bought on a snowy English afternoon. Gone with the Wind is an American classic; I snagged this one printed in Great Britain as the 1939 Holiday Edition. It was 2 pounds sterling. It was purchased for such a day as this and must be read in a hammock set- up under a spreading live oak... or on the front porch with cushy pillows and a ceiling fan gently twirling.

"Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm...." 

Bring out the sweet tea.

And...what about an impromptu picnic with homemade chicken salad and pickles made by a great aunt? Also add brownies fresh out of the oven. Spread a vintage- 50's- yellow- rose tablecloth somewhere shady and wait for the ants to arrive.

Enjoy whatever says "summer" to you.

Framed Art, Lobster Buoy for Sale at HillcrestCottage.Etsy.com

Consider the Birds

Once upon a time, a lifetime ago in1982, I had jumped straight out of the sorority house into the work- force frying pan. I had been plucked away from the small college-town fun-life and support of friends to be thrown into big-city Dallas and its web of crazy expressways. I was newly married and learning how to depend upon my husband and myself instead of my parents.

My Grandmother tried to teach me needlepoint. I think I finished this piece in the 6th grade.

I had survived fours years of college without ever having done my own laundry. (My Dirty Clothes would ride home with whatever car was hometown-bound; my mom would buy Clean Laundry a bus ticket back to university- town where I would happily greet Clean Laundry at the local bus stop. This is a true story, no one could make up this stuff. Okay, so I was  a little spoiled.) I had never been on much of a budget, especially when it came to my clothes closet. (So, I was the only granddaughter of a very generous grandmother who also loved nice clothes.) I think you might be getting the picture here of an unprepared-for-the-real-world type girl. That was me.

 Talk about life-stressers. 

I had a huge learning curve ahead of me! We were on our own for the first time and were figuring out how we would survive four year's worth of my husband's grad school. It wasn't easy, but I did survive... and I learned a lot and grew a ton.

Matthew 6: 25-34 became my daily food.

Artwork by Ellen Barr

Do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. (A huge trust-curve for young me!) Is not life more than food, (Sure, I was cool with shedding some unwanted pounds by not eating.) and the body than clothing? (Well... I would have to consider this one.)

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span?

And why are you anxious about clothing?(Seriously, God? Having all the right clothes had always been a "given" in my young life.) Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these.

But, if God arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith. (There was my problem... never really had been in situations where I was forced to trust God for my daily needs.)

Do not be anxious then, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "With what shall we clothe ourselves?" (Ummm... creepy... was God recording my whining for all the world to read?)

For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. (E v e n t u a l l y, my response had been, "I'm willing to try this trust-thing"but my new experiment didn't guarantee an apartment on Easy Street.)

Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Amen to that.)

Thirty one years later, I have never moved past Matthew 6:25-34. My love of nature, God, and simple living always bring me back to these incredible life verses. To have birds in my life reminds me all- the- more to give my daily anxieties to the One who created me.

My Bird Nest Collection:

Enter: THE birdcage.

Enough whining about the urban chickens I will never have. When I saw THE birdcage, I began a plot to feed my feathered-fantasy. Only problem was its $450 price tag. But, I wanted it, so I started saving my pennies to make my dream become reality.

Life happens... and I didn't get very far on my savings plan.

Meanwhile, I heard that my dream cage was back-ordered everywhere. Meanwhile, I walked into my local department store to discover my cage with a $525 price tag. ( At this point, if I ever achieved my goal, I knew would never be able to admit to anyone how much I had paid.)

I Began Preparations for My Bird-filled Room

I remembered Matthew 6 and continued to pray. God and I both knew that this bird cage was not a life- or -death thing. We both knew it was just for fun.

(I think everyone should have room on their prayer list for fun-stuff.)

Next, I spotted my cage at my favorite flea market venue. The exact cage... for only $225. Only problem was... it was already sold. Dang.

I talked to the cage  lady, she told me she had one more cage, she brought the cage to the market for me, she changed the price to $290, I talked her down to $250, I discover the new cage had no seed pans, I told her I was putting real birds inside the cage and needed seed pans, she offered to sell  the cage for $95....

SOLD!

THE Cage...I'm Having Seed Pans Custom-Made

I love this story of my bird cage and the singing residents are a daily reminder of God's great faithfulness to me in the past as well as in the future.

"Tabasco Finch" (This Spice Finch flew crazily around Hillcrest Cottage before entering cage)
 and "Atticus Finch" (Morning Bath = Fluffy Feathers)

I hope we will live happily ever after... for at least 5 years, anyway... 'cause that's a finch's lifespan.

The End.

Carpe Diem

The seasons change. The clock ticks. Time marches forward. Meanwhile, I cherish the past, embrace the now, and anticipate the future. 

There are many ordinary days of starting the laundry, vacuuming hair of Lucy the Golden-Doodle-less (a story for another time), scurrying off to my part-time job as a 'fake patient' training med students,juggling different roles, squeezing in fitness time, and hoping for creative moments to renovate Hillcrest Cottage or create new art.

Next, there are the mountain- peak days. These are the once-in-a-lifetime days which celebrate the faithfulness to the ordinary and to completing what can only be done in each 24- hour period.

To be honest, I have no idea how this particular day came to be... this college graduation day. Why? Because this son was delivered to college a mere couple of months ago. I have barely cleaned the room he left behind in Hillcrest Cottage. I wonder how was he able to earn majors in English and history from the Honors College, present a 99- page thesis paper, and receive Cum Laude recognition in such a short time span.

But he did.

And his undergrad college days are completed.

I am amazed... at how quickly time passes... I am determined... to live with no regrets.

Brother- of- Graduate & Mom-of-Graduate Waiting for the Big Moment

The University of Arkansas's Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences graduated their largest class ever. My son, however,  aheem...was one of the 140 honor graduates. He wore a red stole to signify his achievement... very scholarly of him. 

To hear his name was awesome. To see him on the big screen was thrilling.

The Big Moment

Then, came the photo 'opps'. My sweet son endured it all for me. I love this photo taken in front of Old Main... my favorite building on campus. I love the tradition of my Alma Mater's "Senior Walk" and of the school's graduates having their names inscribed in concrete. On these sidewalks are relatives' names dating back to the 1880's (when the U of A was Arkansas Industrial College). My dad's name is on a sidewalk along with my brother's, my husband's, and my own. Pretty darn cool.

Well...Hello, Mr. Double-Major -Honors- College- Cum Laude Graduate

In the following picture, father and son are literally walking in former students' shadows: Grandparents, uncles, cousins, and parents. Robin William in "Dead Poet's Society" admonished his students with these wise words:

They're not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they're destined for great things, just like many of you, their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? - - Carpe - - hear it? - - Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.

Carpe Diem, Stuart.

Walking in the Shadows of Three Previous Generations

It is good to be the proud parent of a son who is everything any parent could ever hope to have. These are real words full of true meaning and not a frivolous toast  filling the air with fluff.

Wow...What a Great Day

Here's to the graduate! Here's to the celebration of many, many late nights and saying 'no' to other things and lonely times spent in the library and eating canned dollar store food to stretch the college loan budget. Here's to your future which is bright and shiny and yet- to- be revealed!

Exciting times ahead.

He was Extremely Diligent & Devoted to His Education

Hillcrest Cottage Entry Walls: A Tutorial

 When I am home alone, things at Hillcrest Cottage can get wild. It all began with an inspiration photo from one of my favorite magazines.

Inspirational Photo from "Country Living" magazine

Before I was left alone, my front hallway was beyond needing a new look. I had never really meant to keep it this way for so long. Originally, this hallway was a two-part paint treatment where the second coat go lost somewhere between carpooling and a baseball game. That was years ago... maybe even ten.

Before

The new treatment is like this. I love it so much! I wish the pictures would do it more justice. In person, it is incredible.

After

The base coat needs to be the darker color. The next coat is paint mixed with glaze. Take newspaper and smooth the paper onto the wet paint. It is best to crinkle the paper first so it will produce a wrinkly effect. Peel the paper off and some of the second coat will be removed.

This  technique produces a broken-down Italian villa look which ages any wall and gives an old world feeling. My walls are old... 90 years old in 2013... so this technique works well with the unevenness of the plaster.

***love***

On another part of the wall, below a chair railing which goes up one side of my front staircase, I used another technique where I applied different colors of paint onto the wall with a trowel.

The Effect is Very Playful & Fun

I am enjoying the way the wall turned out. It brightened my entryway more than I imagined that it would.

Hillcrest Cottage's Front Stairway

This whole project was  risky, but I am not afraid to experiment. I realize this look is not for everyone, but I love being different. 

"Blessing" is Our Word for the Year

Mission Accomplished!

Blessing Number Four

For over two years this guy has waited patiently to have wheels again. Without one word of complaint he waited. This was a joyful day when middle college son and awesome car met for the first time.

The look speaks for itself; some pictures do not need words.

Hillcrest Cottage is thankful for blessing #4.

I Paint Furniture

In case you haven't heard me say this before, "I paint furniture."

The following is a piece which went from "great aunt drab" to beautiful! I wanted to share it today because I am participating in Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday.

This Chest is Painted with Robin's Egg Blue by Maison Blanche

Finished with a Dark Wax Also by Maison Blanche

Slight Distressing Around Keyhole & Brown Paint Spatters

 It's a beautifully sunny day here at Hillcrest Cottage. I am thinking I might have to check out some neighborhood estate sales in a few minutes.

Happy Friday!

The Word of the Year

The Hillcrest Cottage "Word of the Year"

While I have been choosing a year Bible verse for a long time, this is only my second year to choose a "word for the year". I have found that the word is very helpful for making the verse stick better in my memory. Duh... why didn't I discover this years ago?

And... a new picture of Lucy... just because she hasn't been seen in a while.

Do You Fear the Unknown?

Do you fear the unknown? I do.

Tick. Tick. Tick. The unstoppable, continual cadence of life's clock.

Good-bye to another calendar, squares filled with scribbles, check marks, and x's. Hello to a calendar, white, shiny, and blank enough to fill my thoughts with fear, hope, anticipation, and mystery.

Fear: Empty squares could be filled with hard and unexpected circumstances. 

"My times are in Your hands." (Ps. 31:15)

Hope: Empty squares could be filled with blessings and goals achieved.

"God be gracious to us and bless us." (Ps. 67:1)

Anticipation: Empty squares could be filled with opportunity and enjoyment.

"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Ps. 37: 4)

Mystery: Empty squares equal the unknown. Even in the midst of some fear, I don't want a boring life filled with predictability. What I do know is that God has already prepared a path for me this new year, and I get to discover this exciting path with every new step.
"We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. " (Eph. 2;10)


Loudly, my father's last words to me echo. Strong and wise words powerful enough to alter my life's course.

"There are only two things in life which really matter: God and family."

I embrace you, New Calendar. 

With boldness, enthusiasm, and confidence I step into 2013's unknown territory.

Finishing Strong in 2012: The Report

This year of "finish" and "finish strong" has been completed. I finished a lot in 2012; some things remain unfinished. Hillcrest Cottage still has many remodeling projects left half-done.

 However, I have to say I deserve a huge pat on the back for the things which were finished well.

This is the official "Finish Strong in 2012" Report.

Finished...The Selling of My Childhood on Ebay

I am very proud to report that the de-cluttering of Hillcrest Cottage has been accomplished. The work of removing clutter is never quite finished, and I still have some fine tuning to do. But, for the most part, I have sold everything there has been to sell, donated the worthless, and given a good chunk to my now-married son and his beautiful wife. 

"Good-bye, Buffy from Family Affair! See ya in my mind's eye."

"Un" Finished... Floor...2013?

Okay... so I have a closet which still needs sheetrock, a floor half-tiled, and a kitchen half-painted... I can't beat myself up for these incomplete finishes.

Finished... 21 Years of Middle Son

Finished... 17 Years of School Lunches

Graduations are one-time ceremonies, making the school lunch is a daily ritual. 

Finished... 17 Years of Private School Tuition Payments

Finished... 7 Years of Hillcrest Cottage Basement's Weekly "Imagine Student Ministry"

Finished... The High School Graduation

Finished...The Graduation at West Point

 West Point graduation was everything I had imagined it would be... exciting, filled with pride, emotional, and fun. My only regret was that my youngest son graduated on the exact same day. How can a mom who has never missed a minute of her son's life miss his high school graduation... tore my heart out. So, imagine our delight when we were able to fly our high school graduate to South Carolina for a rendezvous and huge family celebration... one of the highlights of the Hillcrest Cottage year!!! 

Thanks to Uncle Danny and Aunt Rosanne for making this celebration possible!

Congrats to BOTH Graduates

Finished... Cadet-Turned-2LT Leaves West Point

When Hillcrest Cottage had finished two graduations... along came the wedding! 

 

Finished...The Wedding... Me & My Stuart

Finished...The Wedding...Cousins with Grandmother "Dee"

Finished...The Wedding...Me & My Davis

Finished...Last Son Leaves Hillcrest Cottage & Begins College

Finished... A Wild Summer '12... Two Boys Leave Hillcrest Cottage

The whirlwind of activity which swirled through Hillcrest Cottage from April to August left as quickly and violently as it had arrived.

Finished 2012...The BEST Christmas EVER at Hillcrest Cottage

Another Hillcrest Cottage Life post reviewed this unbelievable 2012 year. 

Epic. Wild. Emotional. Awesome. I can't comprehend ever having another year as full as this year of "Finish". This year was truly the wildest ride imaginable. This year  has left me tired, but extremely happy and thankful.

On this first day of 2013 I am anticipating the new year. We have another graduation soon appearing on the horizon. 

"Didn't I just send that second son to college last year?" 

Coming soon Hillcrest Cottage's 2013 word and verse will be revealed.