7 Facts you’ll regret knowing about me . . .

One of my favorite bloggers, City Mouse (now referenced in my two most recent posts!), invited me to participate in “7 Facts”—it’s a “meme.” I’m supposed to share 7 things about myself that my general reading audience of two do not know about me. (I told Debi that I can’t imagine there’s much I haven’t already told you, ummmm, both, but here goes . . .)

Obscure Paige fact #1—I had to google the definition of a “meme.” You too?

Richard Dawkins’ definition of a meme in The Selfish Gene is “a unit of cultural transmission.” Like genes and diseases, the prevailing characteristic of memes is that they tend to replicate, just add humans.

huh?

So, you may ask (as I did), whotheheck is Richard Dawkins and why does he make me feel stupid?

According to his “official website,” Richard Dawkins is the former Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University, a position he held from 1995-2008.

Well, that clears that up!

For the record . . . I think Mr. Dawkins has an inflated sense of self-worth as he “named” a game I’ve been playing since I was a child in grade school; we passed around spiral notebooks with questions our friends were to answer--we called them “Friendship Books.”

I digress . . .

Obscure Paige fact #2—I loathe going to a spa for a massage. (A massage from my husband, however . . .)

Obscure Paige fact #3—my parents named me Paige Ellen Thomas. When I married, I dropped the Ellen and became Paige Thomas King. I have now been Paige Thomas King longer than I was Paige Ellen Thomas. (That was even obscure to me until this very moment!)

Obscure Paige fact #4—I love music and, while I do not always appreciate the music my fourteen year old chooses, I’d say I’m fairly open to most types of music. That being said, however, I usually leave a blog if music starts playing as soon as it loads.

I have been assaulted by truly horrific tunes, as well as music I adore, but the reason I’d prefer to have quiet blogs is that it usually announces to everyone that I’m looking at blogs! People shopping at Hodgepodge will stop and looks as the tunes start playing! Plus, it’s difficult for me to read your blog as Norah Jones soulfully belts out her number one hits. I will gladly click on your suggested music or your play lists (one of my favorite features of City Mouse’s Tunes I love Tuesday!).

Obscure Paige fact #5—While I’m on the blog topic, I’d also prefer to see YOUR pictures—not pictures you’ve grabbed from another website or an image search.

The occasional picture of an inspiration room or something you’re longing for, but don’t have one of your own to take a picture—that I understand. I’m interested in what YOU are doing and seeing and what inspires you, but I don’t want to read a blog filled with images you found on the Elle, Country Living or Architectural Digest sites. YOU are much more interesting.

That being said—be sure to watch for a post in the near future in which I’ll reference a bunch of pictures from a book I’m lovin’ on lately!

Obscure Paige fact #6—I cannot abide by hypocrites. (hee, hee)

Obscure Paige fact #7—I love that, until 14 days ago, my husband was part of that “less than 1% of the US population serving in the Armed Forces.”

I love that he served. He’s sacrificed so much and I am in his eternal debt. (Don’t tell him—he’ll be absolutely impossible to live with!) Oh, and I am glad he’s retired!

Now, I am to “tag” some of my blog friends and ask them to share in this “meme.” Here goes:

it’s your turn . . . Auntie Bliss at Blissitydoodah . . . and Kimberly at Kimberly Santiago Art . . . and Tawnya Norton at C’est Moi! . . . and Tanya at Suburban Jubilee. (two of them won’t mind, the other two will not be happy with me!) Please visit their blogs—they’re wonderful!

Thanks for your indulgence!

my stint as a “guest blogger”

I was very flattered to be contacted by Kathleen, at HawkersWife blog, for a guest blogger opportunity.   She sponsors a cleaning and organizing week on her blog and this year she asked me to weigh-in.  There are several give-away’s associated with the week of posts, I encourage you to visit and enter to win.

Here’s the link to her blog:

 

Here’s a link to my post on her blog:

 

Thanks for your indulgence!

Article for March 6th

For a little over a year I’ve been writing a column for our local newspaper (The Leaf Chronicle).  I really enjoy the opportunity, but I also feel like I have been pouring so much into my weekly deadline that I’m left drained of creative juices for my blog.

So, I’ve decided to start posting a copy of my article to my blog. 

 

While perusing my favorite blogs this morning, I read a post that moved me to tears. I have a blog friend who writes from her home in Maryland (the state where I was raised for nearly 15 years) under the pseudonym “City Mouse.” She’s married to “Country Mouse” and has five children—one son serving in Iraq. She loves R.E.M and coffee. We have a lot in common!

In her most recent post she wrote about the decision to buy her parents’ home in 2006. She shared her thoughts about living in a house where she had already created so many memories. As I read, I thought about her anxiety—what a daunting task it must be to occupy and own the house which (in your memory) belongs to your parents and your siblings. She mentioned that she and her husband had always loved the house, but had discussed what they would do to improve it for their use. They’ve now been living there for nearly 5 years. I wonder if they feel like the home belongs to them.

I have that feeling in our house. We’ve been here almost 9 years, yet there are days that I walk up to it and feel like a visitor. Our house has been on First Street for about 130 years—a lot of residents have come and gone through the doors of our house. My dream, however, is that we’re the last family to live here.

When we bought this house, Darren was an active duty service member with a minimum of seven years left until retirement. As it turns out, he served nine more years and officially retired March 1^st of this year. So, after 22 ½ years of PCS moves and deployments “we” have retired. The beautiful thing is we’re already living where we intend to spend the rest of our lives!

It is from this house on First Street that we will launch three children into the world. It’s to this house we hope they will always return. It’s in this house we hope to dress two brides and one groom. We plan to watch grandchildren play in this yard; in short, we plan to grow old right here on First Street. (Of course, we’d love to have a lake house and a boat for the weekends and summers!)

Just in case you’re wondering, my point is, many of us still hold on to the basic premise that “home is where the heart is.” We raise our families and create memories, but does it really matter where this all happens? Do the rooms of your home have a sacred hold on those memories? My feeling is that they’re part of the events and the memories, but they’re not the vessel—your heart is. That’s where we hold the good stuff; okay, technically, it’s our head, but that’s less poetic—I’m getting deep here!

While I imagine our children fighting over who gets to live in this house when Darren and I have moved into Uffelman’s Estate or Rocking Horse Meadows, in the end it’s just a house. We’ve made the memories and they will stay with us and our children no matter who is living in this house on First Street. Perhaps it’s all of the moves we’ve made in with the Army, but as much as I love this house and would hate to leave it, it’s just a shelter.

(only three of them are ours, but these are the memories I’m talking about!)

How about you?  Are you in your “forever house?”  If not, what do you dream of?  I’d love to hear from you.  Be sure to check out Citymouse and her thoughts on the matter. 

Thanks for your indulgence!

chalkboard project—a quickie!

well, if I’m getting a project done these days, it’s going to have to be “a quickie!”  and, if truth be told, this project took me entirely too long, but life keeps getting in the way of my need to create.  oh well, a busy life is a good life (it means we are all healthy and active).

back to the project at hand . . .

I know I’ve mentioned my love for silverware—especially trays.  Sometimes, however, the finish too far gone to salvage.  I had this tray hanging in the dining room, but decided it was the ideal candidate for some chalkboard paint!  (I know, I’m getting a little carried away with this paint—note my only other project in recent memory—but it’s so cool!)

I’m not going to bore you with the step-by-step of this project, as that would be insulting to your intelligence!  Suffice to say, a caveman could do it!

Here’s a tight shot of the tray in question, pre-paint:

And here’s a shot of the tray as it looks now—back in it’s position on the wall of our dining room:

I asked my son for a quote to put on the tray, he gave me this:

To myself, I said, “How apropos to my life right now!”

When I asked him who said it, he slapped his head and said, “Oh, what’s his name?!?  It’s  . . . it’s that guy, the ‘father of transcendentalism’ . . . you know . . . what’s his name?”

All I could think was, “I wish I had paid better attention in school!”  My kids challenge me like this all of the time!  How come they’re so dang smart?!?

Thanks for your indulgence!

bright new additions

New additions to Hodgepodge . . .

We’re pretty committed to cheese around the King household.  You can count on finding a cheese platter at almost any family gathering.  One of our favorites—BRIE!!!  When I found this brie baker and the new brie toppings offered by our vendor Gourmet du Village I was all over it!

A few new serving pieces in  great colors!

 

These green pillar holders are great for a table setting or mantle.  The color will be great to carry your home décor into spring, but will see you through the other seasons, as well.

This wonderful garden green pitcher would be made even better filled with sangria!

A perfect bowl for a fresh salad.

A versatile wine cooler which would serve equally as well as a vase, don’t you think?

 

Thanks for taking a gander—I’ll post a few of the items to the boutique tomorrow.

Until then, thanks for your indulgence!

In Defense of Pollyanna

Last week, via a facebook post, I read a blog entitled Defending Pollyanna by Paige Hill.  Paige (aside from being blessed with a fabulous moniker) is the very talented internet marketing manager for Where Women Create and The Creative Connection.  (She is obviously very good at her job, because she’s got me  and about a billion other women following her every utterance on facebook, as well as her blog.)

Anyhoo, she put out a call-to-arms in defense of Pollyanna, so I grabbed my rose colored glasses and jumped right in!  (okay—so my jumping took a week, but I’m here!)

(Image Source Page: http://www.doctormacro.com/Movie%20Star%20Pages/Mills,%20Hayley-Annex.htm)

I don’t recall if I’ve been called “Pollyanna” any more recently than my arrival here in Clarksville, but the nom de guerre has been thrown at me on numerous occasions and I don’t think it was always intended as flattery!

(Image Source Page: http://filmfanatic.org/reviews/?p=5146)

But here’s the deal—I’d rather my epitaph read “she believed and she tried” rather than “she thought about it, but figured it probably wouldn’t work.”

(from ancestry24.com)

I admit I have my days when everything appears dreary and insurmountable, but guess what—a new day dawns and things look better.  Believing in the power of your dreams isn’t just good advice—it should be your way of life.

There will always be people telling you you can’t do something or that things will never change.

(Image Source Page: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25809184)

If I had listened to the naysayers, I wouldn’t be living in my dream house, I wouldn’t be the owner of the best home decorating store in Clarksville, TN, (I wouldn’t be so humble), I wouldn’t be married to my wonderful husband and I wouldn’t have three amazingly bright and talented children, because everywhere along the way I’ve been told it couldn’t be done  . . . the odds are not in my favor . . . or there’s no happily ever after anymore.

Guess what? 

She believed and she tried!

Thanks for your indulgence~

Vintage Inspiration and a disclaimer

Alrighty, I love using the Windows Live Writer software to construct my blogs.  It’s much easier to manipulate than blogger and has more features, but—for the second time—after a full day of working on my blog, as time and customers allowed, I went to upload to blogger and

***POOF***

it’s gone!

So, now I’m wondering if I type out the whole thing again or just post some pictures and link to Vintage Inspiration Friday, as is my final intent.

Oh, what the heck—I’ll paraphrase.

I started yesterday’s now-lost-post with a disclaimer:

Warning:  this blog is written by a shop owner

I just want to make it clear that I own a shop (two, actually) and, as a consequence, I sell stuff.  Yet, I feel compelled to explain:   just because I often include items which are part of my inventory here at the shop in my blogs, does not mean I’m trying to hawk my wares with every post.  It just means I have a thought or an idea or just something pretty to share.  Also, there are many blog parties out there and I want to play, too. 

I am here at my shop more of my waking hours than at my home.  I have filled it with items I love and, frankly, I spend more time decorating and cleaning my shop than I do my home.  (I’m afraid to know how quickly my family would agree to that last sentence!)  I put  a lot of myself  into Hodgepodge, I want to share.

I feel compelled to mention this because I just started my Hodgepodge Blog Boutique.  Occasionally, I’ll provide a link to items for sale, but you won’t find any “buy now” buttons on this blog.  I sometimes feel guilty for sharing items I have for sale.  Therefore, please don’t read this like a sales pitch.  Just enjoy the stories and the pictures and, if you like what you see, leave a comment. 

Now that I have that out-of-the-way, let me share a few things I love and feel are Vintage Inspired, then hop on over to Common Ground to see other awesome bloggers and their vintage inspirations!

Some vintage inspired furniture for your consideration:

This cabinet is a wonderful mix of vintage and new materials.  They’re made by a friend who lives here in TN.  He uses salvaged windows for the doors, so they’re great for displaying everything from china to bath towels!  I’d love to have one for my cookbook collection, but alas, I would have to add an addition to my kitchen!  The black interior of this cabinet makes it ideal for display white ware, but that green really pops, too!

This is a cabinet top from a vintage kitchen cupboard.  It’s one of those things that Patty and I thought wouldn’t be in the shop very long—mainly because WE love it.  Yet, here it sits, which makes me happy, because I love using it for display.  It' has the original hardware and glass in the doors.  The black trim and cream paint are worn in all of the appropriate places!

Look at the wear on this door . . . I wonder how many times someone’s mother reached for the door to retrieve the flour or sugar?

Now we’ve all seen those end tables constructed from the old sewing machine base—usually topped with a piece of plywood or marble.  (I have a marble topped one as my nightstand.)  This one is special because it’s married with an enamel table top!  It’s a nice large surface—great for a small dining table or even better as a desk or craft table!

And then there’s my favorite of favorites . . . our screen door cupboard.  The sides are made from a paneled wood door—cut in half.  The back and shelves are constructed from salvaged boards.  Then there is a screen door.  I think it would make an ideal pantry for a kitchen lacking storage, but for now it can stay right here at Hodgepodge, because I love it.

Well, there you have it.  A few vintage things that inspire me every time I walk through the door of Hodgepodge—my home away from home!

Don’t forget to pop over to Common Ground for more inspiration!

Thanks for your indulgence!