Monday, December 29, 2014

My Good Deed Adventure!

 This book .... yeah.  I received a copy of this book for Christmas the year before last.  It has suggestions for 'good deeds' for each day of the year.  But not always things I think of as good deeds ... like separate your recyclables or read a good book ...  then again, some things were what I considered good deeds, like taking cookies to a neighbor.

That first year, I just wrote down my own good deeds each day, ones that were always a service to someone else.  By the end of the year I had figured out that the good deed referred to doing good things, and sometimes those good things were for me.  That's when I decided to take the challenge and do the suggested deeds.  That meant going to Anthropolgie last Christmas time to buy another copy of this journal.

Early in January I just started thumbing through the book, which I was also using for my goal journal, to pick out ideas.  I dated each one as I did it.

Many of the things in the book I do all the time anyway, like smiling at a stranger, telling people their children are beautiful, being quick to apologize, reading and going for a walk.  Some things just didn't fit the way I live, like learning my barrista's name and calling her by it, since I don't drink coffee, I tweaked this one to be my waiter.

It was obvious that the list was made by people a generation and a half younger than me, as it had me sending pictures, stories and flowers to my mother and grandmother, etc. Instead I did the deeds but sent them to my children or grandchildren.

Some were a challenge like the one that wanted me to drop change in an expired parking meter.  We don't have change operated meters in Utah where I live, but when we were driving through New Mexico ...


By mid November, when I should have been down to the last 45, I still had a hundred and twenty five to go, so I put it in high gear and started doing more than one thing some days.  One day I did about 10 things, including drawing a hopscotch in chalk ... (do you see where I goofed?) 

... and hanging a bird feeder.

Some big projects, like my festival of trees tree including several items, like sewing a dress for a child, crafting something, donating money to a good cause, etc.

One day's suggestion was that I leave flowers on a monument for someone I admire.  Since a headstone is a monument, I did find my husband's great, great, great grandmother, Hannah Ann Dubois Dibble's headstone, in the same town where I work. I've always meant to do that, and now I have.

I was a little worried about shoveling snow, but we got some in the nick of time ... this is my next door neighbor's walk.

And I think my grands had fun going to the animal shelter.

I definitely should have done the impromptu picnic sooner, but thankfully I have a garden house with faux fireplace that really heats up...


... and a husband whose a good sport.


For the swimming suggestion, I took my daughter's advice and counted wading in the ocean in Texas with my girls back in March.







Then last but not least was this weird one that I just felt silly doing ... but I did it today.



Yes I did, I acted confident, and waved at cars as they went by.  Some people honked, some people waved, some people ignored me, and I was surprised to see how many people were on their phones ....

Still, it feels great to be done!  And sometimes along the way I had to go out of my comfort zone, which I think is almost always a good things.

Oh except the one I refused to do, just standing on principle.  I did not offer someone constructive criticism, because I do not believe there is any such thing.

Now on to a new year, and new goals ... I will tell you one thing I have finally learned, though.  The only way for me to even remember what my New Year's Resolutions are, is to keep a goal journal.  This was my third year to do it, and I doubt I will ever skip it again.  Daily accountability, even to yourself works wonders!!

 I hope you having an amazing New Year! -Paula

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Fleaology Dealer in Romantic Country Magazine!

We have a couple of sisters at the antique mall who do amazing things with their booths!!

It was pretty cool recently to find out that one of them was featured in a national magazine. 
In fact this cute breadboard cupboard was the star of the show. 
This is the opened current Romantic Country Magazine's Flea Market issue!
Here is a close up of the same cupboard shown above, when Annette is set up at the Amazing Vintage Whites sale held last February in nearby Salt Lake! 

Annette changes out her booth here at the mall according to the holiday! 
Such cute and colorful chairs. 
Here are some more shots of her cute Christmas booth! Isn't the door above just amazing? 



This is the photo collage I posted to my pollyannareinvents Instagram account. Come follow me and I will follow you back!! 



Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Ginger Bread Houses


 Just thought I would share some fun pictures of an event that happened this week.

The grands came over to make gingerbread houses with my son and his wife ...



That creative gene definitely dominates with this crowd.


Didn't they all do a great job?  And they had a ball doing it too!
Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Charmed Farm House Tour.

I had a lovely invitation from a customer to come and see her Christmas decor. The main part of her charming home was built in the 1800s. With serveral additions. It was charming. 
She said she and her husband took a class and made this twig love seat together in a day. 




I thought her kitchen was charming too. 

The funnel tree is charming. 
Her husband builds shops in a bottle ....

Here is a completed shipje made previously!!

It was such a treat to see her amazing spaces!!



Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Book Club Christmas Luncheon

One of my favorite traditions at Christmastime is my Book Club's Christmas Luncheon.
We have been having this luncheon for 13 years, and I always get to host.  I guess that is a blessing I get because I LOVE to host.  Of course the ladies all help with the meal, and its usually based on the book that we read for December.  

We chose our menu this year from the menu in the dining car on board the California Zephyr, since we read David Baldacci's  The Christmas Train. 



I set the table with my Christmas dishes ...

Book Club friends brought the food ...

And we had a lovely party.  We discussed the book, which I had recommended, and about half of us liked it as much as I had ... then we moved to the parlor where we exchanged favorite books, using the 'white elephant exchange' method.  It was a lovely afternoon, and I am so grateful for these amazing ladies, and am so proud to call them friends, my literary friends.