Decorating Tips for the Country Home & Garden
April 30, 2008|Comments (29)
When creating trendy outdoor living spaces… don’t forget to give the chair rungs some flare.
Break up the monotony of green grass with tasteful lawn ornaments.
Adding accents to flowerbeds keeps spaces interesting and also serve as a great places to hide your spare keys. Dual purpose landscape-design details are always a plus.
A classic country item like a barrel or trough can easily be converted into a fountain. To keep water from becoming stagnant, it is a good idea to install a windmill water pump.
When updating your country kitchen, keep in mind that faucets are one of the most important components of your kitchen area. Select a faucet that is not only functional but also gives your kitchen a customized look especially when matched with a unique and stylish spout.
If you choose to carpet the bedrooms of the house, be sure to select shades to compliment any color or style of furniture.
The garage should be outfitted with workbench and storage. Artwork may be added to define the space. Remember to bring the outdoors in with elements of nature in every room.
———————Interesting Stuff to Check Out———————
Click on the mailbox to stop junk mail, save trees, and have a tree planted on your behalf. It’s free!
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I also wanted to touch on a more personal issue: depression. We keep it pretty light around here — with plenty of animals and adventures but we weren’t always so fortunate. Before moving to our home in Georgia, we lived in Washington state. Washington is a beautiful area of the country but spends several winter months with reduced sunlight and a great deal of rain. It’s difficult to imagine that such a gorgeous place could ever be dark and dreary when you experience the summer there:
Oh, but winter is NOTHING like summer. Constant rain fell for twenty-seven days in a row during Josh’s first deployment of our married life together. I could scarcely drag myself out of bed and tasks like like leaving the house or getting the mail became incredibly taxing. Apart from intense loneliness (I was 3,000 miles from home and my husband was in the war), I had no energy. Zip. All I wanted to do was curl up in a big blanket, wear my husband’s pjs, and sleep.
I discovered that I was suffering from S.S.A.D. or Subsyndromal Seasonally Affective Disorder, which is quite common in the northwest and other regions where there is reduced sunlight in the winter months. My husband and I began researching natural treatments for my depression. We found several easy ways to create positive energy in our home to combat the depression. Guess what? They worked. My good friend, Robin, encouraged me to share this information with you:
In order to increase the flow of negative ions into our home, Josh converted an inexpensive resin planter into a fountain for me. He added some bamboo and an elephant (because I LOVE elephants):
He also spent his leave (military vacation time) helping me buy and plant flowers so I would be surrounded by natural aromatherapy and vibrant colors. Color and scent are known to promote feelings of health and well-being.
Josh surprised me with a rose wreathe (which he made using real roses).
He also brought me flowers from the yard to arrange in vases throughout our house. I ended up with potted plants and flowers in every room. See why I love him so much?
We also replaced all of our lights bulbs with white light bulbs. To mimic sunlight during the darkest months (when it honestly didn’t matter whether the shades were drawn or not — the light was the same).
There are many ways to combat depression naturally. Simplifying your life and immersing yourself in the activities which promote happiness may not cure your depression or be a substitute for medication but it can’t hurt to give it a try.
The most important thing to remember when dealing with depression of any level is not to isolate yourself but to reach out because while you feel as though you are the only one — you are not.
Want to heal the past by living in the present? Check out Holly’s site, Looking Through the Glass.
It’s a Game Called, “I Win.”
April 26, 2008|Comments (21)
As we pulled into the driveway last night, Josh and I realized that we had an uninvited guest snooping around the guinea pen and front yard. The Red fox had returned to finish the job on our birds after the rainstorm. Josh threw the car into park and ran in the house with flip flops clapping on the wet pavement to get his gun but the fox was long gone. My Great White Hunter was bummed.
Inclement weather is ideal weather for a fox to go hunting. Most animals have bedded down and are unsuspecting. Nighttime inclement weather is even better. (I say this like I am an expert or something… Josh told me, ok?)
This morning, we awoke to a thick fog and Josh set up camp on the front porch with binos (that’s military-man speak for binoculars), rifle, coffee, and the Bible.
He’s going to protect his babies. Don’t worry chickens: Daddy’s home.
—————————–Update on the pesky fox battle————————–
Josh discovered that the hillside is the fox suburbs (a bedroom community of poultry-munchers) and began trap construction. He killed two of them this morning and is now after the rest. Yes, they have awakened the sleeping giant: Josh, the hunter/tracker/trapper. Beware the determined man. Testosterone abounds.
Duck Tales and Turkey Talk
April 24, 2008|Comments (none)
