Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Spring Cleaning Treasures

I feel like I've been Spring cleaning for the fast four weeks. Constantly I'm tackling another pile or closet or drawer. I've made three trips to Good Will. It feels good to get rid of the extras and just focus on managing the necessities. Slowly but surely things around here are feeling more manageable. The house, however, still looks like a bomb hit. Why does it require a big mess to get things straightened up?

In my purge, I ran across some hidden treasures. It's been fun putting them in their rightful places and on display for others to enjoy. Want to see?

Three items have joined our international guest bathroom. The first is a hand painted card that my sister, Cindy, gave me from her trip to the Ukraine.

Another is a piece of embroidery that my father-in-law, Mike, brought back from the Vietnam War. I salvaged it from their old house during their move. I have no idea what it says, but the embroidery is beautiful. Whenever I see it I have to stop and thank God for His care for Mike during those years. Otherwise, there would have been no Sean.



I also found in the bottom of a pile this great wall decoration. Our first nursery had a "Little Children of the World" theme. This was given to us at our first baby shower and I've never had the heart to part with it. I'm glad to have it one display once again.



I've been holding on to these glass bottles and had to put them to use or they were going to recycycling. I covered them in scrapbooking paper I had left over from my Grandma's recipes project and filled them with grains.




My sister, Vanessa, taught English as a Second Language in Thailand many summers ago. She brought me back this antique fabric piece. It is far too beautiful to tuck away in a chest. It now hangs in our bedroom on a curtain rod attached to the wall and clips. This was so inexpensive (under $10) and easy to do. The year after I received this the Tsunami hit and much of Thailand was affected. I often wonder what happened to the hands that created this beautiful work and it does remind me to pray for the many families that are still feeling loss.

10 comments:

Mary@notbefore7 said...

You sure did find a lot of hidden gems in the house. I love the first item that you framed for the bathroom!

Great idea for those bottles - so creative! These are the kind of displays that make your house a home...personal items.

Sarah said...

I love the piece from Thailand. Hanging it on a curtain rod was a great idea.

Lots of spring cleaning to do here too. Last week the Veterans group picked up a ton of stuff. I now have one empty corner in my basement. Feels so good!

Monica said...

Wow, Monica you found some beautiful things! I also love the wall hanging.Everything you did is beautiful. Keep plugging away, you will soon see it all come together!

Teresa said...

I love the fabric hanging! Gorgeous!!!

mzzterry said...

Beautiful, personal decorating. This is the kind of stuff that gives a home a real HEART. Thanks for sharing.

GeonHui's Bakery said...

Great idea with the fabric hanging. I have a large scarf a friend brought me back from Paris, I love it but have been stumped at what to do with it. Thanks for the idea.

Andrea said...

Those are all such nice things! The bottle idea is my favorite though - so simple and pretty!
Andrea

Mom2fur said...

I think it's nice that every piece has a story behind it. The piece from Thailand is stunning. I think displaying it is a lovely way to honor the 'everyday' people who made it!
A "Little Children of the World" theme may be the cutest idea I've ever heard for a nursery! I bet that was darling.

Unknown said...

I absolutely LOVE the bottle idea!!!!
And all of your stuff is beautiful!

Amy said...

You have a knack for this! I love it when people decorate with items that are personally meaningful, rather than just buying all new things in certain colors.