Painting Beauty From Ashes - A New Blog

Several years ago I started this blog, The Lavender Tub.  I didn't think of myself as a blogger, or really a person that anyone would find interesting enough to follow; I just wanted a place to share some recipes and other "how to" ideas.  An insatiable desire to learn and try new things, combined with homemaking skills learned from my stay-at-home mom put me in a position of being a resource for some of my younger friends.  It made sense to have a public place to publish information that I seemed to share over and over again.

As time went on, however, The Lavender Tub became a place of therapy for me.  The death of my remaining parent (both to cancer), a job loss for my husband that lasted two full years, learning of the lengthy abuse of some children I love - which sent me into counseling to deal with issues from my own past - were all so difficult and wounding.  There were wonderful events that greatly eclipsed those painful things - my daughter gave birth to the two, most beautiful children on the planet, my hubby eventually found work and then became a partner in his CPA firm, my boys acclimated to public school from homeschool very successfully, and I even stumbled upon a little business that keeps me in some spending money.  Still, the hurt could be so heavy at times.  This blog has been a lovely escape for me as I've worked on those hurts.  When I was emotionally unable to reach out the way I once did, I found I could still blog and share ideas that might help someone.  I could get lost in editing pictures, and learn new techniques as I worked.   I could even find a calming joy in remaking a piece of outdated, undesirable furniture into something that is pretty and quite useful for our home.  It made me feel like I was Painting Beauty From My Ashes, and healing happened.  I wouldn't say I'm 100%, but I'm certainly in a better place than I was.

Since I didn't realize I was starting a real blog when I began The Lavender Tub, I made choices in my set up that locked this blog into formats and styles I am unable to change without undesirable consequences.  Honestly, I'm kind of eager for something fresh that can evolve as my skills change, and as I learn more about how to be a blogger.  For those reasons, I've decided to start a 2nd blog,  

I don't think I will abandon The Lavender Tub, for it is dear to me - mistakes and all.  I just wish to have a place to present better pictures with a cleaner format for some of what I blog about. But then again - you just never know! 

Or in the words of  

Lady Violet of Downton Abbey fame, 

I do hope you'll continue to visit, and please check out and consider following, Painting Beauty From Ashes, here.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here for you are the reason I keep blogging, and you helped me through a most difficult time.  You will never know how much you mean to me!

My View From the Tub - Christmas Gifts

Do you have your gift list READY?

OK

     SET .....

Actually, hold on for one minute........

Before you jump into to all the craziness that leads up to

CHRISTMAS

Would you take just a couple of minutes to watch this video

Perhaps this water project isn't

where your passion lies.

This happens to be one of mine, but I am also

passionate about stopping

Human Trafficking 

and 

Providing Blankets for

Impoverished People

In 

North Africa

and

Giving to People

Who Have Lost Their Jobs.

Over the next several days, I'll be sharing

some gift ideas and some gifts that have

meant the most to me.

I sincerely hope you will share ideas back.

The value of a handmade gift is 

undervalued in our culture.

Let's change that!

If we really want to Occupy

This Christmas,

Let's give a little less to the 

Big Companies with all the Gadgets,

And a little more to the 80%


Who live on less than $10/day.

These are just 

My Views From the Tub 

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

Cokes, Candy Bars, and Covered Bridges

This is the covered bridge that was painted by my mom in the story below.

Today is a special celebration day at our house.  We call it Coke and Candy Bar Day.  It’s almost too personal of a celebration to share, but I know when I’ve shared it in the past it has helped others.  So, I thought I would go ahead and share it with you today.  

August 9th, was the day my mom stopped fighting breast cancer and went to live with Jesus.  I was very close to my mom and part of me left that day, nevermore to return.

When the first anniversary of that day arrived, I was so sad.  I missed her terribly and was overwhelmed with grief.  How was I going to get through this?  Then a thought came to my mind:  Celebrate!!!  My mom loved life and she would have wanted us to remember her, not her cancer.  She also loved her daily Coke Diet Coke and Candy Bar - somehow they balanced out.  So I put the kids in the car, let them each pick out their favorite soda and candy bar, and went to the park.  

As we sat enjoying our sugar, I told them stories about their grandma and how she would have bought cokes and candy bars for them.  I told them how she would have taken them to the Dollar Store, and made decorations for their rooms, and taught them to paint animals on rocks.  Mostly, though, I told them how very much she loved them.  How precious for me that after fourteen years, my kids still cheer when it is Coke and Candy Bar Day.  I think mom would have liked this very much.   

One of my most precious memories with mom happened while she and I were in Tulsa.  We were staying in special apartments for cancer patients, so she could receive her daily treatments without having to stay in the hospital.  Now you must understand, in my mother’s mind, her body might have cancer - which was an inconvenience - but she still had projects to do.  She came to that apartment loaded with all kinds of materials, books, and supplies.  And lucky for us, Hobby Lobby was just down the street should we run out!  

After lunch one day, mom pulled out a scrap of wood she’d picked up from a woodworker.  Using her acrylic paints and a postcard of a covered bridge in Winterset, Iowa for inspiration, she began to paint.  In an instant - the world around us stopped - and there she was.  I literally could not breathe for fear that I would disturb the magic that surrounded her.  As she nonchalantly talked, I watched her brush become one with her hand and dance across that castaway piece of wood, transforming it into something beautiful beyond its wildest dreams.  

Never was I more in love with my mother than in that moment. 

To her it was just a practice piece.  To me, a moment forever frozen in time and treasured in my heart.  

Priceless.

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

My View From the Tub - On Comparison

 I have a confession to make here at The Lavender Tub.  It takes a lot of courage to admit this, but.......sometimes I go to bad parties!  Reaally bad parties.

Who would have ever thought this, right?

Well, I do, and they're called pity parties.  I really hate going to them, but sometimes I find myself there.

And can I just say, "Almost every time I find myself at one of these parties, it is because I've gotten caught up in comparing something about my life with someone else's?"  I can be going along fine and happy, when out of nowhere it hits me like a bus.  Anyone else know what I'm talking about?

My friend has this little expression in a frame in her house:

Comparison is the Stealer of Joy. 

Six little words.  But, six very powerful, little words.

Since one of my goals at The Lavender Tub is Contentment Regardless of the Circumstances, I created this picture to frame. Like my friend, I want to be reminded of the damage caused by comparison.

The last few years have been pretty tough for my family, and I think most people would not blame me for going to these parties.  I lost my dad to cancer after having lost my mom to cancer 13 years ago.  My Edward was laid off from work, and we had very little income for almost two years on account of neither of us working.  We've all but lost a 5 year-old niece to an ugly divorce situation, and my daughter miscarried her first pregnancy.  OUCH!

But here is the thing:  Allowing comparisons to creep in does not change anything for the better.  They just leave me resentful, hurt, discouraged, discontented.......and without JOY!

So, I'm uninviting myself to those parties!  And when that comparison bus tries to hit me, I'm facing it head on and choosing to compare with those less fortunate than I am. Those I can reach out to and encourage, or help with their needs.  

How about you?  What are you comparing with that is stealing your joy?  Do you need this little reminder, too?  If so, I've created a few different designs for you to enjoy in your home.  Hopefully, you'll be able to "click" on the design you like and "print" whatever size best suits your needs.  I'm not very savvy at creating printables yet, but I'm not going to compare with those bloggers who are.

Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for listening.  Be encouraged.

Ellie

Nifty to be Trifty

I know most of you reading my type of blog already love to thrift.  You know....... buy second-hand stuff from garage sales, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Craigslist, and other local thrift stores.  If you're not one of "us", let me give you some things to ponder to see if it isn't, in fact, a good idea for you too!

First, thrifting is fun!  Grab a great cup of coffee, load your best girlies in someone's car, and ride around helping each other find treasures.  It's so much fun! 

My friend, Di, and I found this beauty propped up against a neighbor’s fence.  We were kind of afraid we were stealing it, so we left a note in the mailbox, loaded it in the truck, and peeled out.  The neighbor later called and thanked us for taking it.  Whew! 

It's good for our planet.  I really believe almost anything we need can be found second-hand.  Think of all the transportation expense and packaging we're saving by recycling something someone else no longer needs or wants.

I was thrilled when I found this machine.  It is the same model as my mom’s; the machine I grew up sewing on.  It is considered one of the best machines Singer ever made, and I purchased it for $25 in almost unused condition.

It keeps more of our American dollars at home.  Let's face it.  We Americans like lots of stuff, and we like to buy it for cheap prices.  Sadly, this means we are sending lots of our dollars overseas (which translates to less jobs here), creating a huge trade deficit.  Every dollar we keep in our local economy, helps our local economy.

The Salvation Army is hit and miss for me.  I find the clothes to be inexpensive, but the housewares, too pricey.  An exception is pillows.  I always look over the pillows and often find wonderful feather down pillows with ugly covers.  It’s a steal to get these for 99 cents.  I also found this very sturdy chair for $2.50.

It helps us live on less so we can give more.  If you are reading this blog on your own computer, you are considerably wealthier than most people living in the world today.  Poverty, lack of medical care, unsafe drinking water, hunger, and more are a daily reality for so many.  If our needs can be met with something second-hand, why not use the savings to make someone else’s life better?

Thrifting has allowed me to save, so I can team with others from my church to take medicine to some very special friends.

It’s a great teaching tool for kids (and us).  It’s no secret that credit card debt is out of control in the US.  We like to get what we want, when we want it.  Kids are no different.  When we thrift, we often have to wait to find the item we are looking for.  Delayed gratification is a good thing and helps us all understand the value of saving and waiting.  Also, when kids use their own money thrifting, they learn the worth of a dollar much more than if we give them a few dollars to blow everytime.

My kids quickly learned what a great buy legos are at garage sales compared to new sets from the Lego store.  We once purchased an enormous storage tub filled with Legos for $10.  It was easily $1000 retail.

So what are your thoughts?  Is thrifting a good thing, or a way to collect a bunch of junk?  I’d love to hear your thoughts, tips and ideas.

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

We Interrupt This Summer.....

I don't know how this summer is playing out where you live, but here in Oklahoma it has been a scorcher!  We've been running triple digits for weeks now and even made it up to 108 F degrees a few days ago.  It is just hot, hot, hot!

Lavender peeking up through the snow.

A little angel enjoying her view

I thought this might be a good time to share a few pictures from The Lavender Tub garden.  A kind of visual snow cone for you as you head out into the heat to enjoy the festivities of Independence Day, 2011. 

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

Why The Lavender Tub?

Quite simply....because I own one!

For our ninth wedding anniversary, my Edward bought me a 1929 Prairie style house that has a BIG lavender tub right in the middle of the upstairs bathroom floor.  While she is not the heart of my home, she certainly is the soul for it is here that I dream, watch clouds, pray and dwell in possibilities.  I can think of nothing that would capture the essence of this blog better than The Lavender Tub.

I know there are people who would not care for her, but I absolutely adore her.  She represents so many of the qualities I aspire to.  She's simple, yet elegant.  She's timeless, reliable, available, comforting, soothing and embracing.  She's a little spunky and on the edge with her color, but that's what sets her apart from all the others.  I think it would be very nice to have these things said of me.

We've discussed ripping her out and making that bathroom more appropriate for His and Hers, but I keep telling Edward I'm just not finished enjoying her yet.  I kind of think I never will be.

Oh, and in answer to the question I'm asked most often, "Yes, I do bathe in her......... every day!"

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie