The Delightful Eclectic Abode

Honoring our soldiers today - Memorial Day

Memorial Day, 2012

As you go about your day today, please remember our current and fallen soldiers.  Stop for a moment of silence and give thanks to all the men and woman who gave their lives in the pursuit of freedom.  Please say a prayer for those who are currently serving our country and pray that god keep them safe.

 

 

Remembering my stepfather today, Raymond Gorczany, who served during world war II.  He was a combat medic for the Army and served in Japan, Germany and France. 

 

He was only 18 when he enlisted.  He was forever haunted by the experience of world war II.  

 

Thank you for helping to save the wounded men on the battlefield. 

 

Thank you for never abondoning the wounded.  You helped to save many and you prayed for those who died on the battlefield while you held them in your arms.  Many of those boys were your comrades and friends. Thank you for giving comfort and aid. 

 

Thank you for displaying courage under fire.  You ran to the battlefield unarmed to assist your fellow soldiers many times under enemy fire.

Combat Medic Prayer

Oh, Lord I ask for your divine strength to meet the demands of my profession. Help me to be the finest medic, both technically and tactically. If I am called to the battlefield, give me the courage to conserve our fighting forces by providing medical care to all who are in need. If I am called to a mission of peace, give me the strength to lead by caring for those who need my assistance. Finally, Lord help me take care of my own spiritual, physical, and emotional needs. Teach me to trust in your presence and never-failing love. AMEN

The Combat Medical Badge (CMB) was introduced on March 3, 1945, for medical personnel who served with detachments during World War II. The badge was designed to provide recognition to the field medic who accompanied the infantryman into battle. According to the Department of the Army, the medic must have been personally present and under fire, to be eligible for the CMB.

Medics served diligently on the battlefield, at sea, and in the air, demonstrated their compassion on a daily basis for millions of servicemen. The reason for countless medical successes was the speed and skill with which the medics initially treated the wounded.

Thank you to all the U.S. Military for your dedicated service to our country.

~Sandy

Table and Chair Makeover

 

Welcome to the back porch at the Delightful Eclectic Abode! I'm so excited about sharing my first 2012 thrifty trash to treasure transformation. Stay with me now, because I'm going to tell you a little story about my project.

 

Here is a peek. My thrifty transformation is just to the right of this photo.

Three weeks ago I went to a local barn sale and purchased this little table for $40.00. It's a vintage baking table with an enamel top. I had visions of turning it into a potting table for my back porch.

 

It's a little beat-up but that's part of the charm.

 

A week after I got this table, hubby and I went to a local historic town for dinner and wondered why we were seeing all kinds of items on the side of the road.

 

A pair of old shutters were lying there and I asked hubby to stop. He didn't want to put any junk in his camero so he went to play cards. I drove back to town with our big ole pick-up truck so I could score some loot.

 

When I spotted this I knew it would be perfect for the top of the table.

When I got it home, I discovered it was too wide, bummer.

 

Every year this town has an annual spring clean-up. The residents clean out their homes and garages and put their stuff to the curb for anyone to take for free. Whatever is left on Saturday the city picks up and the junk probably ends up in a land fill.

 

 

Two pairs of wooden shutters were on the side of the road so I painted one pair my favorite color turquoise.

 

 

Here is one of the many chairs that I got for free and knew I could make it pretty again. Love the turned legs!

 

The truck was filled to the brim with all kinds of stuff to repurpose for the garden. My project involves the chair, table and pair of shutters.

 

 

The table isn't your typical potting table but she sure looks pretty on my porch! It definitely has the cottage garden feel.

 

 

The little gap just above the drawer is for a cutting board. Hubby is making me a new cutting board, but it isn't finished yet.

 

SUNDAY EVENING UPDATE!  Look what hubby did for me today.  He was so cute.  He said you can't show a half-finished table on your blog.

 

 

He added a new drawer pull and a cute little glass knob for the pull-out shelf.

 

It looks much better now that it's complete

 

More details about the cost of the table:

I already had primer for the table, leftover turquoise paint from another project and all my paint brushes. Total cost for the paint and material to recover the chair was $28.00.

 

 

The canvas indoor/outdoor material for the chair was on sale for 50% off at Jo-Ann's Fabrics. There is enough left to make a table runner.

 

 

I already had all the little accessories for the table. Total cost for this project $68.00.

 

Today I'm linking to Rhoda's Southern Hospitality Thrifty Treasures. Please pop on over there to say hello, meet some fellow bloggers and get some inspiration! Southern Hospitality is a grand place to visit.

 

 

I'm also linking up to "Wow us Wednesday's" at Savy Southern Style. 

Hope you'll stop by again to see what my next project will be. Please leave a comment so I can come visit you too.

 

 

 

Back Porch Serenity

 

Good morning!

One of my favorite places to be, first thing in the morning, is on my porch with a fresh cup of coffee to help wake-up my senses.

 

My neighbor cut a few blooms for me from her gorgeous peony bush. The scent is lovely.

 

 

Last year I planted a peony bush with the same color of flower. It had one bloom and this year it has three. They should bloom in a few days. I wish the blooms lasted longer.

 

Sitting on my back porch is pure bliss with the heavenly scent of flowers wafting through the air. I love the sounds of the song birds that visit my garden each day.

 

 

Peony and hydrangea are my favorites.

 

 

Notice the little chair in the background? I shared in another post about how it was found on the side of the road. It's adorable.

 

What do you think of the gazing ball? It was found on the side of the road a couple weeks ago and it fits perfectly with the statue. I think it's an old plastic very large christmas ball that hung on someone's porch. It works perfectly for a gazing ball.

 

 

The place setting was purchased at Pier One. It reminds me of a birds nest. One of the store clerks said I should work there part-time. Every time I visit the store, I play around and experiment with various place settings.

One full-time day job is enough for me.

 

 

I love the use of mirrors on my porch and in the garden.

 

 

No matter where anyone sits on the porch there is a mirror reflecting the garden. My covered porch has skylights too.

 

 

This is the reflection that I see from my dining room mirror.

 

My latest thrifty table and chair makeover.  You can read about it here.

 

 

Meet the furry residents.

 

My beautiful little Kayla girl. I know, she doesn't look happy. Both my dogs are terrified of thunderstorms and they seem to sense when the barometric pressure drops. They literally shake.

This is my boy Kensie. Poor little fella he looks sad in this photo. He's a real trooper. We call him the little ole man because he seems to have an old soul for a dog. He has seasonal allergies too.

 

 

We all know that at this time of year we need bumble bees to pollinate our gardens.

This is my friend Lise's little granddaughter Kenleigh. She dressed like a big bee because she said she was protecting her mom from getting stung by a bee. Isn't she darling?

 

Stay tuned for a couple of my thrifty project reveals in the next couple of weeks.  I'll also be working to get my gardens in shape.

 

I love visitors and comments so please come back and say hello.  I'll come visit you too.

 

"Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace."

~May Sarton

 

I'm linking to Debbiedoo's Newbie party. It's a lot of fun so pop on over and meet some fellow bloggers and welcome them to the world of blogging!

 

 

 

 

I'm also linking to Eclectically Vintage and the Great Outdoor Party. Please go say hello to Kelly and meet some great gardeners!

 

 

 

 

 

Picking, Painting, and a little Sewing

 

I'm back!  Guess what I've been doing for the past couple of weeks besides working at my day job?  The week before mother's day was annual spring clean-up in one of my favorite little towns.  Hubby and I went there for dinner and on the way home I spotted a set of shutters on the roadside. 

 

 

This is their temporary home. A coat of white paint might really make them pop against the brick!

 

Dave said you're not putting those in my beloved Camero!!  So, I went up to the house, knocked on the door and asked if I could place the shutters on the side of the house until I came back with our heavy-duty pick-up truck. 

 

In my opinion, every home needs a pick-up truck to haul dirt, mulch, plants and of course, road-side vintage finds! We also have a 5th wheel travel trailer so we need a truck at our house.

 

Look at what I scored for free!

 

 

Love the shape of this chair and it's comfortable!

 

 

 

Picked up 4 of these beautiful planters.  They are light and made of foam.  Someone already whitewashed them!

 

 

Look at this pretty blue wicker chair.  It needs a new cushion.  Not sure where to put it?  I have a friend who might like this chair in her garden if I don't use it.

 

Picked up these 2 chairs and a couple pair of smaller shutters.  These chairs might be cute if they were painted and had new seat cushions. 

 

 

Hopefully, I can find some use for this hutch that used to be a part of a little girls dresser.  The plan was to use it on top of a table that was purchased at a barn sale a couple weeks ago.  If it wasn't too wide it would have worked.

 

This old baker's table was purchased for $40.00 at a local annual barn sale.  It has a worn-out enamel top that's perfect for my back porch.

 

Not sure if it will stay this color?  Your thoughts? 

 

The annual spring clean-up was so much fun!!!  There were cars, trucks and vans going up and down all the streets and the residents were on their porches helping people load their vehicles!  What a great event! I love to see things re-purposed instead of ending up in a land fill.

 

My yard is not looking so good with all this junk hanging around.  Hubby's getting worried that I might turn into a hoarder.  I think we'll be having a yard sale this year to get rid of some stuff.  Maybe some of it will end up on the curb and will make a picker with a truck REALLY happy.

 

My little Singer featherweight is back.  The sewing repair man says she runs like a dream!  Can't wait to see how she purrs.....

 

Just tried it and she is awesome!  She has a forward and reverse and the straight stitch is beautiful! 

 

 

She's not in pristine condition but I think the worn look adds charm.

 

 

The sewing repair man threw in this printed book that has excellent instructions on how to thread and maintain this little work horse.

 

 

This Featherweight was manufactured in 1936.  I wonder who owned her before my mother acquired this sweet little machine? 

 

On a trip to Jo-anne's fabric, I found some really nice outdoor fabric for 50% off.  My first sewing project will be a pillow for the wicker chair on the front porch. 

 

The fabric is a perfect match for the front door!

 

My next project will be covering the chair on the back porch and making a table runner.

 

 

 

If you stayed with me this far.....I hope you'll come back to see my progress in a few days.

 

This week I'm off from work for a stay cation.  There is so much to do around the Delightful Eclectic Abode! 

Do you think I'll ever get bored when I retire someday?  Not a chance!!!

 

Some new accessories along with a little rearranging

 

Sometimes when you need a change, all that's necessary is a little rearranging.

The shutter in my dining area (otherwise known as an eat-in kitchen) used to be on my back patio. 

 

 

I've thought about getting rid of the television in the kitchen, but it's nice to have when I'm baking and spending long periods of time preparing a meal.  It doesn't look very attractive on the wall, but it's much better than all the wires that used to be all over the place.

 

 

I thought it might be interesting to bring the round mirror from the foyer and put it in the kitchen.

 

 

What do you think?  I think I would like to hang it a little higher and maybe get rid of the shelf?  Something to think about.

 

 

I kind of like the mirror in the dining area of the kitchen.

 

 

My cute little 1940's china cabinet with a spring wreath hung on the door.

 

 

The shutter planter was MOVED to the small foyer wall.

 

 

The living room wall BEFORE the new wall art.

 

 

The wall AFTER.

 

The clock was purchased at Home Goods for only $30.00.  It's a wood clock with a little bit of distressing.  The price was marked down from $100.00 because it needs a new movement and hands.  While looking online, I found several websites where I could purchase a new clock movement (with the hands) for about $15.00.

 

The little bird prints were on sale at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $9.00 each.  Not bad!  The print was done by an artist, Chad Barrett, who was trained in Savannah, GA. ICA Home Decor commisions fine artists who will sell copies of prints at a low price for homeowners.  They have a website with many nice low-cost prints.

 

I also bought a little canvas print about life.  I think a little skeleton key hung just above this might look nice.

 

 

And for the finale......here is a little glimpse of my mantel.  The red wall will be going as soon as I can convince hubby to paint.  I've threatened that I will do it myself....

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Today I'm linking to Debbie Doos Newbie party. Please head on over for some inspiration!

 

 

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