Unwinding..

I have NO patience.    None.  Zero.  Zilch.  Put me in a traffic jam and my fingers are tapping the wheel.   When I'm forced to FINALLY make a grocery run I'm counting the people in line times the number of items in their cart and calculating which is the fastest.   But give me an old beat-up piece of furniture and a sudden calmless sweeps over me.   I see hours, days, even weeks of taking the ugly duckling and turning it into a swan.   Ahhhhh....THAT is the art and love of 'shabbying.'

Saturday mornings were made for scouring yard sales and consignment shops.   Roll out of bed, pull my hair up in a ponytail and forget the make-up.   I jump into my SUV (thank-you to the car industry who knew what I needed), pick up my girlfriend, drive-thru for coffee, and out we go.   Stop after stop until THERE!   THERE IT IS!  I saw it half-way down the block, sitting at the bottom of their drive-way.  An old bench.  Yellow flaking paint, arm-rests broken, and slightly warped seat.   But thats not what I really saw.   I saw a one-of-a-kind piece of art.   The arm-rests could be easily filled with wood putty and secured again.   The seat could be nailed down from underneath.  And the paint?   THAT'S where I see...no not see...thats where I FEEL the impending serenity and tranquility envelope me.    I can't explain it but the monotonous task of sanding off paint, hour after hour, day by day, until a piece of furniture is ready for paint, brings me great comfort and peace.  I know....for someone who possesses no patience its ironic.   The sound of the sandpaper wiping away the old with the hint of whats to come is like Christmas morning.   It doesn't get any better than this.   Sooo....I've started.   Five days of sanding with more to come.   Stay tuned and watch my ugly duck turn into that beautiful swan.

Welcome Mat

I've always had a porch - in fact I wouldn't even consider owning a home without one.   Its where I'm drawn from the still of the morning to the end of the day.   I crave the outdoors - the sounds, the smells, the burst of a new blossom in the garden or the silent observer of the rabbit family scurrying around the lawn.  Whatever the reason..its the porch I run to.  I settle into my swing, my foot starts the rhythm of the movement and it never stops.   Calming and soothing, theres never a care in the world.   The icy pitcher of lemonade rests in its normal place on the table next to me along with a stack of unread magazines or that new book that I refuse to read in its entirety because I don't want it to end.   But this retreat of mine offers much more.  The parade of friends begins after dinner on warm evenings.  Sometimes just a wave, sometimes a canine friend who needs to say hello, but most stop to fill me in on their day or the newest and greatest happenings since yesterday.    Many a night I've spent out on the porch, candles lit, an empty wine bottle (or two!) solving the problems of the world with my bestie.   Nothing replaces the porch.   Its the pulse of my humble abode but really?  Its the friends and family who enter my world and the porch just calls to them - come in!

Shabby Style Photo Contest

                                 

                                                "Beauty of Imperfections" Photo Contest


1st Place - 3000L
2nd Place - 1500L
3rd Place - 750L


New Life was born through the love of the shabby chic style.   It says comfortable like your favorite pair of jeans, worn yet a touch of elegance, stylish but mismatched works too, romantic, vintage but easy.   


Now we're looking to YOU to display your shabby chic style.   It can be a room in your house, or the soft pastel cottage garden outside or it can be that 'go to'  vintage dress and hat thats always calling you to wear when you're going out for a day of shopping or dancing.   


We'll leave that up to you.   Just show us in one photograph that screams 'shabby chic.'      The content of the photograph will be judged - NOT the lay-out or presentation.   You can 'fancy' up the photograph using Photoshop or Gimp, but that is not what it will be judged on.   We are judging ONLY on your style inworld.  


Contest Rules


1)  The photograph MUST have at least ONE object in it that was PURCHASED from one of the stores on New Life.   *Object:  prim or apparel*    There are lots of unique stores to choose from.


***IF there is a photography studio/business on New Life you may use them to take your photograph and that can take the place of the one object/apparel.   




2)  The photograph will be posted on the "Beauty of Imperfections" Contest Board at the following location.   Instructions for placing photograph on the board will be given at the board location.   



3)  After dropping the photo on the board a notecard MUST be sent to Petunia908 Pinklady.   


*Title the notecard "Photo Contest"
*MUST include your name, name of the store where you purchased the object (or the photo studio you used) AND the name of the object.   (I will confirm with the store owner myself that its their creation OR with the photo studio owner to confirm photo was taken there.)   


4)   3 business owners from New Life will judge the entrants and winners will be announced on July 16th.  


1st Place - 3000L
2nd Place - 1500L
3rd Place -    750L


5)  Business owners on New Life are not eligible to enter the contest and PLEASE do not use your alts either!