How Many Projects Can You Start At One Time

Okay I'll admit it....I have trouble staying on task.  Anytime...but even more so now with the more bad days than good, health wise. 

We seem to be all over the place in our home projects.  Leave it up to me to start one project and decide I can only do it by starting, three, four, five or more at the same time.  Now, that's nothing new.  Even as a kid at home, when I would decide to clean my room the project would run into the wee hours of the morning because I would start buy taking everything down off the dresser etc, and then clean each drawer inside out.  The difference now is that the project may start today and end next month.  Boy, I hate that. 

So with that said, I thought I'd give you a few peeks of whats going on at our house.
 
Yep, there's a fabric project underway.  All because of a little paint project.  Ha, it's a huge paint project.

No simple recovering project here.  A complete makeover calls for foam.  Who knew foam could be so expensive.  Thank goodness for those 50% off sales.

New foam has to go on something.  So lets take a peek at the before.

I wish I had smell vision.  No, I don't.  I like you guys too much for that.  These were not my chairs.  If they were I would have never shown them.  I found them on the side of the road.  Gotta love free!  But seriously, the smell after getting them to the house (outside only) almost made me change my mind.

Time to sand them down to raw wood and start the staining process.  These need to come as close as possible to match the round pedestal game table in the first picture. Here's your sneak peek after staining and before clear coats.

Did I hear you ask "Is the paint job finish?, Are the chairs finished?" Well, no but we don't let little things like that stop us. Lets throw an art work project into the mix. I think I'll do a frame makeover and art project.

No time to stop now.  Lets throw a few more projects into the mix.  This is just some of the tile for the new kitchen back splash.  Neils laid it on the floor and surround it with wood to get some layout ideas. 

Yes, my house does look like a construction zone but I can live with it just knowing that things are moving forward.  We did get the living room, dining room, powder room, and hall way painted and the kitchen is partially done.  The windows are now framed and painted too.  No small feat in a house of windows. 

Well the list of projects goes on and on.  So stay with me for more sneak peeks and makeovers to come. 

So what projects are you working on right now?  I'd love to hear about them.  If you have one that you'd like to share, let me hear about it. I'd love to share a peek here or maybe you'd like to even guest post here.  I love sharing new blogs with my readers.

Hugs....Tracy :)

Great Deals on Great Meals Publix Gift Card Giveaway

***New Extended Deadline Until 12pm EST, Monday, 8/29***

Publix is Florida institution as far as grocery shopping goes.  I always enjoy shopping there.  The stores are always so clean and the employees are friendly and helpful.  We're lucky enough to have a store only a few blocks away.  So convenience is just the cheery on the top.

Starting August 18th through August 23rd, Publix is hosting Great Deals on Great Meals.  During this event you can visit Great Deals on Great Meals and download $12 in coupons for saving money on lots of items from breakfast to dinner.  You can also find these coupons available in the stores. 

*Coupons are valid from August 15th through September 4th.

General Mills is joining with My Blog Spark and Publix to give one of my readers a $25 Publix Gift Card.  You could be that lucky winner!

Mandatory Entry:  What is your favorite thing about shopping at Publix?

One entry not enough?  Well, here are a few ways to get some additional entries.  Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each one, telling me what you did.  If it says 2 entries, please leave 2 comments.

• {2 extra entries} Become a follower of Cotton Pickin Cute.  If you are a follower just leave me a comment.
• {3 extra entries} Post a link back to this giveaway on your blog.
• {1 extra entry per tweet per day} Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter with @cottonpickincute. (see button at the bottom of this post)
• Follow Cotton Pickin Cute on Twitter (see button at the bottom of this post)
• {1 extra entry per post per day}Share this giveaway on your facebook page.
• Like Cotton Pickin Cute on facebook (see button at the bottom of this post)

Be sure to leave your email address so that I can contact you if you win.  Please don't forget to leave a comment for each entry.

Giveaway ends on August 26th at 11:59pm EST.  Hey Ya'll due to me being sick all week, I've decided to extend the Publix $25 gift card giveaway until Monday. So the giveaway will be opened for entries until Monday 8/29 at 12pm EST.

Disclosure: I received a Publix gift card for myself and one lucky winner from General Mills through MyBlogSpark)

A Letter From God

Good Morning Ya'll.  When I was at the Dr's. last week I saw this and asked for a copy to share with you.  I hope you enjoy it.

OX's....Tracy :)

                                                                                                                       Date:  Today

Good Morning,
I am the Lord your God.  Today I will be handling all of your problems.  Please remember that I do not need your help.  If the devil happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle,   DO NOT attempt to resolve it.  Kindly put it in the SFJTD (something for Jesus to do) box.  It will be addressed in MY time, not yours.  Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold on to it or attempt to remove it.  Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem.  If it is a situation that you think your capable of handling, please consult me in prayer to be sure that it is the proper resolution.  Because I do not sleep nor do I slumber, there is no need for you to lose any sleep.  Rest my child.  If you need to contact me, I am only a prayer away.

Love Eternally,
The Lord your God

P.S.  Please pass this on to all my other children.

Interior Design Inspiration at the Loveliest Blogs

I found a new blog the other day while searching for decorating inspiration.  What in the world did we do before blogging came along?  Now that I think of it, the world was a much smaller place when I was a child.  Decorating had it's value and place at our house more so than that of my Grandma and other older relatives, where decorating was a second or after thought to necessity and purpose.  Decorating was limited more to the geographical area's where we lived too.  And why wouldn't it be?

Television had only become a staple in every home in the 50's, not much before I had come along (did I really just say that?)  What a way to start my day!  There was no HGTV and even the "women's" talk shows spent more time on pleasing your husband and being a good cook, housekeeper and mother then they did on decorating.  I know, I totally veered off where I was going.  Oh' well, that's the upside for me being my on editor.

I want to introduce you to Michelle @  Hello Lovely Inc.  She's been blogging since 2008 and she's describes herself better than I ever could, so I'll let you just read her about me description.

"I'm Michele. I'm a mom, wife, and writer. Hello Lovely Inc is a collection of inspiring finds, creative ventures, and encouraging words. It's a place where I share dreams and rants and wishes. It's a place for room porn and to laugh (especially if you appreciate one-off humor). Besides a passion for creativity, my sensibilities lean toward beachy, romantic, tranquil, quirky, ethereal, meditative, and soulful.

After graduating from Northwestern University, I earned a master's degree in counseling at the University of Missouri-Columbia. A freelancer contributing regularly to more than 80 parenting/family/women's magazines, I also edit and write press. I love books, baking, creating art, design, and nesting. "

Michele's blog is lovely, indeed!
This is the post that I fell in love with.  She highlighted a beautifully decorated cottage interior designed by decorator Mabley Handler. 

I had already started picked my colors and starting painting when I found Michele's post and was happy to see that it had a color palate so close to mine.  Though my newly painted living room is not exactly like this, it's similar.  If you remember, we did not want to repaint all the molding in the rooms again, but I did (something I had to ease Neil into) want to lighten it up.  So our walls are now a creamy white to blend with the khaki (for lack of a better word) trim.  We have greenish/brown sofas and I'm wanting to introduce blue and beach colors without replacing those pieces. 

I wish I could say this was my room below but....ha, you know that's not true.  I am excited about the new colors and how much lighter my room feels.  And yes I will get around to posting pics soon.  We repaired sheetrock and painted 3 rooms so far with more to go.

If I was being a critic the only thing I would change is the kitchen color.  It's a little blah for me.  I love the flow of the entry hall and the living room and I get that she's keeping the flow going in the kitchen but I think a little more color to excite the eye would have been nice. 

Now this is the color I have been wanting in my bedroom and bath for the longest time.  I love the soothing pallet.  The palest of blues.  Was Ms. Handley stalking my dreams?  I've been in love with the fan coral, like the one framed above for over a year.  I love the white but I also love the colored coral as well and have been keeping a watch out for some to frame.

The bedding is the perfect cottage bedding to me!  It just takes me back to all our vacations growing up that were spent at the beach cottage.  The lamps are so vintage cool.  I'm already thinking about how easy those would be for all you diy lovers and copy cats like me to duplicate.  I love their shape.  The shades are what gives them the pop but I'm not really digging the gold and lacquered look.  I do love the aqua, just not the lacquer look of it.  Of course we all love the bead board and that headboard is perfect.  I'm wanting those pillows and that coverlet something awful.  Simply put....Gorgeous. 
To see more beautiful pictures of these rooms just click here.   Michele has tons of eye candy for you at hello lovely, inc.

Just my style.

Have a great day ya'll.

Hugs.....Tracy :)

Quote of the Day

be joyful always. 

pray continually.

give thanks in all circumstances.

                                       ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16.18



What Color Is Your Map?

Our map is hot!  It looks like it's going to burn right off the page.  Just looking at it makes me hot.

Sounds like I'm complaining, doesn't it?  Okay, well maybe I am a little.  At least I'm aware of it and I try to remember that as hot as it is here in Jacksonville, Florida, it's even hotter in Fort Worth, Texas where my sister is.  It seems all last week their temperatures were between 104 and 110.  Yes that's One Hundred and Ten BEFORE the heat index!!!  I know a lot of you are out there suffering these dog days of summer.  And Lord be with those who work outside in it. 

When I think of whining again, I stop and think of our many men and women serving our country in a foreign land.  Tuesday's forecast for Iraq is 115 degrees!  Can you imagine?  No, our service men and women won't be at the beach or at the pool.  They will most likely be covered in head to toe clothing and helmets and bearing what I consider the unimaginable. 

God bless our troops. 

I have an endless amount of gratitude to them for doing the job that no one wants to do.  War is ugly.  No one wants this great country of ours to be in the midst of a war.  No one wants the world to be in a war.  The loss of life.  The monetary cost to the world.  I mean really, think what that money could do to accomplish an end to world hunger, to strengthening our economy and so much more.  How amazing would it be to be in a peaceful world, where everything worked in together for the good of mankind.  Yes, I realize that's a idealistic view of life.  A little Disney-esque.  I'm picturing the original Cinderella animated movie with bluebirds dressing her.

Our service men and women do what so many of us can't imagine doing.  They do what so many of our country men and women have done before them........They serve.  They serve because they know that wars happen and whether right or wrong our country needs to be protected.  They serve because they believe in our in our forefathers vision of responsibility for the least of mankind.   Those being abused by dictators and maniacs.  They serve because they were lucky enough to have been born in a country with so much when other countries have so little and they were raised to know that those who have much are responsible to help those who have little.

My prayers go out to the families and their communities who lost their loved ones, our hero's, in the lastest tragedy that took 30 of our soldiers from us.  

GOD BLESS THEM.  GOD BLESS AMERICA.  



Are You Wearing the Proper Clothes?

Thanks to my friends for leaving such sweet comments and letting me know that your thinking of me.  It's been a rough weekend.  I have a splitting headache and don't want my blog to be all about that.  I'm keeping in mind that it will pass and the Lord will be my strength. 

This song came to mind while thinking about my sister and a little project I want to do.  It made me think of better days ahead and I want to share it with you.  Oh' and you're probably wondering about that title, keep reading and you'll understand.  I just got sidetracked with this song. 

It was written by and performed by Gale Garnette from Australia who later went on to play in many TV shows and movies including "Bonanza" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".

What a beautiful song to start out with on Sunday.  I hope your Sunday is full of sunshine and love.

Now back to that title.  This verse is why I named this post "Are You Wearing the Proper Clothes?"

Matthew 22:11-14 (From Parable of the Wedding Feast)

11 But when the king came in to meet the guest, he noticed a man who wasn't wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. 12 'Friend, he asked, 'how is it that you re here without wedding clothes?' 13 But the man had no reply.  13 Then the king said to his aides, 'Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'  14 "For many are 'called, but few are chosen." 

 Reading the study notes I learned the meaning of this passage.

• 22:11 The term proper clothes correspond to spiritual fruit that demonstrates real faith (see 7:13-27).
• 22:13 Weeping and gnashing of teeth express the intense pain and sorrow that result from condemnation for sin and unbelief (see 8:12; 13:42, 50; 24:51; 25:30. *Outer darkness is a metaphor for eternal punishment.
• 22:14  While many people are called-they hear the invitation to the kingdom-few are actually chosen by God and respond in faithful obedience to Jesus.

I'm so glad that I have a study Bible.  I've wanted one for years. While I understand certain phrases such as 'weeping and gnashing of teeth', I didn't realize what the term 'proper clothes' referred to.  I won this Bible though a giveaway earlier this year and am so grateful, as I said before, I had wanted one for years. Now I realize just how vital it is.  I'm not writing this to promote this particular Bible (which I love, if you can't tell).  I just wanted to share the verse this morning and thought it was important to share what I learned as well. If you've ever thought about getting a study Bible I whole-heartily recommend that you do.  Mine is the NLT Study Bible by Tyndale.

Now I have to go lay down and I'll be pondering the question about my clothes and what other people see inside of me.

Love and wishes for a blessed day ya'll.

Hugs......Tracy :)



Warning!!!

UUUUGGGGHHHH.................



Has anyone else out there had to deal with "Chonic Fatigue Syndrome"?  The Dr. told me that's what he thinks is wrong but didn't offer much in the way of advice.  Don't you just love that?

I would love to hear from anyone else who has had to live with this or work they way through it.  Any tips and suggestions would be appreciated.  Unlike what the message above says, I'll be grateful to hear from ya'll.

Hugs....Tracy :)