Scenes from the urban Houston landscape

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Tuesday wordle - approaching autumn

In south Texas, we have a long way to go before cool weather arrives, so looking forward to autumn is more of a state of mind.  It is about finding comfort and sharing those feelings of warmth, love and peace.

Design notebook

Not too long after we moved into our house last fall, I went on the hunt for a pretty armchair and thought I scored a bargain with this find at $40 from Craigslist.  Then I saw it in person and wasn't so sure.  The finish is blotchy and the arms are at an improper height.  But still, it has that pretty cane back, so at that price, for an occasional chair, I decided I could live with the imperfections.

It had been my intent to make a cushion cover for the chair and after all these months, I set about that task his past weekend with an inexpensive oatmeal colored woven cotton fabric from Jo Ann's. 

I'm pleased with the outcome and will no doubt tackle another occasional armchair in the not too distant future to cover the grossly outdated green velvet cushion.

Adorning the humble doorknob

Not an original idea, but an adaptation of a Martha Stewart button wreath (tiny) for Christmas.  I used white buttons and shell buttons with little glittery beads interspersed and a heartshaped shell drop at the bottom.  I have a feeling that I won't be able to resist making green ones for Christmas.  And maybe a large silver jingle bell drop at the bottom?  How cute would that be?

Design notebook

This is the configuration of the windows in my parlor.  The upper, circular portion is presently bare and the lower portion is covered with plain white blinds.  The parlor is one of the prettiest rooms in the house. It is small, cozy and not too formal because we placed an antique pine china hutch in there to anchor the room.  The pine give it a very relaxed feeling.

I've been meaning to tackle the windows in our house and the parlor is my first project.  I saw this swag treatment at an Ernest Thompson retail store many many years ago and have always remembered it.  The treatment is merely a long loop of plain cotton muslin knotted at the bottom of each loop. 

I selected this treatment for the room because (1) it's easy to make with a needle and thread and (2) it will provide visual interest in the upper portion of the room -- the ceilings are over 12 feet.  The windows receive indirect afternoon sunlight and I think we can safely remove the blinds and not subject the interior furnishings to sun damage or fading.  Well, that's my hypothesis anyway.

The investment in supplies was small, so if it the results don't look good, I can move on to another idea without a big pain in the purse.  Hopefully, it will be finished soon.

Good fortune

We joined a couple of dear friends for dinner on Saturday, Carol and Liz.  Midway through our cocktail, Carol surprised us with an announcement. Just recently, good fortune found its way to her, quite unexpectedly. It serves as a reminder that from time to time, good things happen to very good people.

Blurred vision

Can someone just tell me how Thursday got here so fast?  Puh-leeez?  The days of the calendar seem to be leap-frogging over each other in their haste to get to the next day.  I'm not in so much of a hurry, so it would be perfectly fine if they just slowed down for a minute.  Or two.

Savoring the memories from the weekend helps.  My handsome brother and lovely sister-in-law paused to smile for the camera

And I didn't have to ask their little guy, Max, twice.  He loves to get his picture taken.

And finally, one of my favorite things, glancing out into the yard to see my lovely Cristybella on a sweet Sunday morning.

Now I suppose it's time to get back to work after this brief reprieve.