Wednesday, August 26, 2009

hanging on to summer

Can August really be almost over?... we have only just begun getting some really hot summer weather here. But the days are getting shorter, the crickets are chirping, some leaves are even starting to fall.

I have been picking blueberries upon blueberries. It has been a great year for them, and I have at least 30 pounds in the freezer. Last night I was picking more and thinking of all the smoothies we'll be drinking this winter--good news for my brain:
"In a USDA Human Nutrition Research Center laboratory, neuroscientists discovered that feeding blueberries to laboratory rats slowed age-related loss in their mental capacity"
~ good news indeed!
As I picked I enjoyed the breeze in the pines, the birds singing, and the horses grazing nearby.

Inside, I've done a little sewing for the living room. Remember the stool covered in blue denim in front of the window...


...well the cover was fading in spots, and I found a project I knew would be perfect for it thanks to Clarice ~ an old grainsack pillow tutorial from Musings from a French Cottage...

I used a piece of inexpensive Onasburg cotton fabric and screenprinting ink that I had on hand instead of the fabric marker. I love the result and can't wait to try some pillows.
I also sewed a new cover for this little footstool with a fabric remnant I found at Ikea...


Some more painting projects are planned with the Light French Gray paint...


...which changes color with the light, sometimes more gray and sometimes this great blue...

Next up to paint {well, maybe once the floor is finished}is the green dresser in the hallway.

29 comments:

  1. I love the results you have with the screen print ink! The stool, and footstool look gorgeous.

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  2. Wow, those stools turned out so wonderful! I'd love to know how you painted the stripes on the Osnaburg!

    Karen B.
    www.elderberrystreet.blogspot.com

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  3. Very nice indoor projects! Love the new covers. Wish I had some of your blueberries!

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  4. Beautiful stool. Love the little table too. And the blueberries look so yummy.

    Jocelyn
    http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/

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  5. You have been busy and I love your projects..I also can't believe how fast the summer days have flown by..and my freezer is well stocked with blueberries too:)
    I love how the table changes color..so neat!

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  6. I love those kind of projects that perk up a room with just a little touch. Nice job on the recovering.

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  7. Love the stool you did. It looks great! I would love to have a blueberry bush like you have! YUMMY! I just made some peach scones and they were awesome!
    Linda - thepinkeep.blogspot.com

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  8. Yes, summer is leaving us, but what a weird August we have had! Here we are in the South, and I've been sleeping with windows open; it has been so mild. Thanks for sharing yor projects with us. C

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  9. It is like a little breath of fresh air to visit this lovely place. You do so much to make your home warm and inviting.

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  10. Thanks for sharing Deb :)

    The Sunflowers are so beautiful and what a blessing to have such an abundance of Blueberries :)

    The stools look wonderful. You never cease to amaze me with your talents :)

    Have a beautiful day!

    Sharon

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  11. I must admit..I am totally looking forward to fall! It is my FAVE time of year! :o) I love your redo projects! You did a GREAT job with them!

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  12. Mmmmm, the blueberries look wonderful! And I love the picture of the sunflowers!

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  13. I can't believe August is almost over! I just don't want summer to come to an end. I do love all the changes you have made they look wonderful!

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  14. We're in the middle of winter, so I can't wait for the warmer months. I am so inspired by your blog. Please please keep posting. I'll be by often.

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  15. I haven't been here in a while, because I can't seem to stay up to date with everything, but I love your blog.

    I love the photos you've shared and what you did with the fabric and the footstool.

    Here, school has been back in session for a week now and we're thinking more in terms of Autumn, though we're still using our swimming pool until probably the end of September, if the weather holds off. There have definitely been those mornings and evenings where it feels like Fall though.

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  16. I love your blog! I will be back to visit often, I hope. Your writing and projects are very inspiring. I, too, would be interested in knowing how you painted the stripes on the Osnaburg.

    Love the photos of sunflowers and blueberries too. It feels like fall here in northern New England today, but I must confess I love fall and am looking forward to it.

    Thanks for sharing..
    God bless,
    Mrs.T

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  17. Anonymous11:01 AM

    As always, your projects are beautiful! I love the french gray paint - in fact, our house is painted a similar color, due to my fixation with the blues and grays of New England waterfront houses (even though I live in the Midwest!). In certain light, it looks almost white, when the sky is overcast it looks blue, and other times it looks like a neutral gray. My husband calls it a "chameleon color."

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  18. I love the stools. They look so comfy and came out great. I will have to give that a try. I have some fabric here that I picked up on clearance. I like the idea of new pillows. I had better get busy. Thank you for sharing all your great photos.

    Ruth

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  19. Oh my, the footstools turned out beautifully. You did a marvelous job.

    I know exactly what you mean about the weather. We are finally getting summer like weather here as well. It is sometimes very hard to believe that August is almost past.

    God bless.

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  20. After buying the book French General, I was searching the net for that wonderful fabric. It never occured to me to "recreate" it myself.
    I follow you closely, you are always on my favorites.

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  21. deb, love the pic of the sunflowers and your horses:-)

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  22. The upholstery looks so nice. The blue berry picking sounds good too!

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  23. chris miller1:53 PM

    Visiting your blog always makes me smile. Such a gift you have!

    Could you tell me what kind of sunflowers are in your first picture? They don't look so tall, and I'd love to plant some next year that are about 4 ft tall. Sunflowers are my favorites.

    Thanks!
    Chris in Idaho

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  24. I love what you did with the stools! You have a great blog. Thank you for all that you share!

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  25. WOW!! Your stools turned out beautifully. I'm so glad that you gave the grain sack fabric technique a try! Thank you for linking to me - I really appreciate it, plus, now I have found your lovely blog and it's wonderful!! Many thanks!!

    God Bless,
    Kathleen

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  26. Your land and home are so lovely. We've been enjoying blueberries here also, although due to our hot climate, they quit producing a few weeks ago. I'm grabbing a handful from the freezer every day to throw into my granola & yogurt 'gruel' as my DH calls
    it ;-).
    Isn't it interesting that we're celebrating the end of summer here while folks in milder climates, like yours, are a little sad to see it go? After day after day of 100+ temps, I can't wait for cool weather ;-)!
    Blessings,
    G

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  27. The ottoman looks wonderful, well both of them look amazing! And you are very lucky to have all of those blueberries...mine didn't fair so well this year.

    :) T

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  28. I think everyone I've heard from has had a bumper crop of berries this year...for us it was raspberries. I only wish we could grow blackberries here..mmmmmm...

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Thank you for taking time to leave a comment--I love reading each and every one! I will try to answer any questions you have in the comment section. Due to the amount of spam, I am sadly no longer able to accept Anonymous comments....Kindly, Deb

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