Tag Archives: Stained glass

Take Me Home–Windows Version

 

My family moved into our house (that we built, along with dozens of other men) in Ohio, two years ago this month. My husband and I had decided that our windows would have the grill work that snaps on and makes the windows look like they have small panes of glass. (I’m all about aesthetics, you know.) I stained all the grill work by hand, by myself, thank you very much. I did that and it sat in the attic…..until yesterday. You see the casings of all the windows are natural wood and did not match the dark wood in the house. Staining all the window casings would be a big job and I didn’t feel up to it. Until this week. I am grabbing the bull by the horns, so to speak. Maybe I should say I’m grabbing the brush by the handle. I think HGTV has inspired me. Or not. I just want to get this task completed….and I want the trims to match, so there you go. Yesterday I worked all afternoon staining the casings in the kitchen, then I washed the windows, wiped down the grills, and snapped them in (which is much more difficult than one would think, believe me…. I have a cut thumb to prove it). Instant beautification.

The white parts on the windows are not wood, so therefore cannot be stained. It’s the tracking part thing-a-ma-bobbers, in the windows. So, that is not my fault. Just sayin’. When looking through the kitchen window, one can see the corner posts of the front porch and my still empty flower bed…although, it has been tilled. The bird feeders are also visible.

I like my faux silk curtains. I got them for $7.99 a piece at Wal-mart. One can hardly go wrong with that price. Pretty. Pretty. They add some snazziness to the windows, and are beautiful when the light filters through them.

This is the small kitchen window facing the driveway. The bottles are from Snapple‘s raspberry tea. I washed them and filled them with colored glass pieces. When the sun hits them it almost looks like stained glass. Once again, I got the glass pieces at Wal-mart and already had the glass bottles. Prettiness on the cheap.

 

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Through The Eyes Of A Child

Austrian stained glass

Memories…as warm and cozy as a blanket. Memories that I am able to wrap around me, even on the coldest of days. Memories that make me smile, even now, years past my childhood. Memories that are ignited for me, when the weather gets cold and Christmas is right around the corner.

Getting the live Christmas tree from the sale at the local fire department. “This one is too skinny. This one looks like a bush. This one has a bare spot.”  One year we did have a Christmas tree that resembled a pine bush. It was short and fat. Didn’t really matter though, because to a child it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen, when decorated. Pretty glass ornaments that my mom had…blue bells, pink icicles. A ton of tinsel….which my mom had a special way of adding to the tree. She did not appreciate my sister and I throwing the tinsel on in “clumps”. Why not?

My sister and I got dressed in our Christmas Eve outfits. We went to Mammaw and Pappaw’s house for a HUGE family dinner. My cousins and I would sneak upstairs to the living room while all the adults were downstairs still eating and socializing. We would look to see the gifts that were addressed to us. We’d carefully shake them…try to see under the wrapping paper. The anticipation was too great!

Footsteps!!! An adult! “What are you kids doing?” Nothing, was our reply. My aunt knew we were lying…and we knew that she knew we were lying. But, it was Christmas Eve….and sneaking a peek at gifts was part of the fun. After the meal all of us went to church for the Christmas Eve service. Our church was made from stone with beautiful stained glass windows. The church was built in the 1800’s and I heard that the windows had been imported from England. The candles glowing in the windows made the stained glass come alive. I have some wonderful memories of that church on Christmas Eve. All I have to do is close my eyes to see it once again.

Back to my grandparents house for dessert and the opening of gifts! It’s funny the things I remember from childhood. When I was very little I got a small, brown toy puppy. His head moved back and forth and his tail wagged and then he would bark. I thought it was the neatest thing. As I got older, the type of gifts changed, but it was always the family get togethers that I loved so much.

Christmas morning was fun with all the usual excitement of unwrapping gifts, giving gifts, and the expressions on each face. I remember one year, I think I was 13 or 14, I got a miniature “boom box”.  To those of you that lived in the 80’s, you know that was a cool gift! Before we knew it, it was time to get dressed and start the holiday trek to family houses. One relative would have breakfast, one would have lunch, one would have dinner/dessert. This was a great way to visit, see everyone’s tree, get to look at all my cousins Christmas presents, and enjoy family. I have such good memories of my growing up years.

I feel extremely blessed to have such wonderful memories from my childhood. Family, friends, church services to celebrate the Savior’s birth, food, and gifts. All these things wrapped up, making a gift that my heart can open each Christmas…as I reminisce .

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There Is Beauty In The Simple Things

Sunrise on Vanha Porvoontie

Image by MikeAncient via Flickr

1. Warm candle light spilling  from the windows on a dark, chilly night.

2. Opening the mailbox to find a letter addressed to you.

3. Breathtaking sunsets where all the colors melt into each other.

4. Small churches with stained glass windows and steeples.

5. Lantern style street lights.

6. The very first snow of the year

7. Hot chocolate with gooey marshmallows.

8. Flavored coffee in a favorite mug.

9. The smell of a fresh cut Christmas tree.

10. Thanksgiving with family and friends around the table.

11. Having plenty to be thankful for.

12. The laughter of small children.

13. The silence on Christmas Eve.

14. The clank of wind chimes.

15. Driving down a country road.

16. Finding a great coffee shop in town.

17. The smell of apples and cinnamon.

18. A day off

19. Snuggling on the couch with a the TV remote and a bowl of popcorn.

20. Having friends over.

21. Laughing at something stupid.

22. Music that touches the soul.

23. A much loved and well worn bathrobe.

24. A loyal pet.

25. Friends

26.The beauty of nature

27. Holding hands

28. Smiling

29. Memories of happy times

30. Knowing that you are unique, no one can ever take your place.

God blesses us every day with the simple things.

 

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