My Heart Lives Here

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Flower Pot Candle

Welcome to the April edition of Ten on the 10th. Today, we are all sharing container garden projects. As usual, the challenge is to share an idea that costs less than ten dollars.

I've intended to create a gorgeous Potted Candle Planter using a glass hurricane for some time now. One or ten of these would be so gorgeous for an evening backyard party. I saw it on the blog Family Chic. As clear and simple as the directions are, it just wasn't getting done at my house. So, I came up with this cheap and dirty version using a white candle in glass. Pun intended.

I spent just under ten dollars at Walmart to purchase the two flower pots, two 6-packs of flowers, and the white candle in glass. I had potting soil and gravel on hand.

The smaller pot goes upside down inside the larger pot. I could pretend I that I had carefully calculated and knew that the diameter of the top of the smaller pot was the same at the diameter of the bottom of the bigger pot, but no, it was just dumb luck.

Then, I placed the candle on top of the little pot.

Next came gravel, potting mix. and flowers. I went with white Impatiens, but multi-color would be lovely as well. The important thing is buying these little ones that fit in the small area of soil.

Easy peasy. I love a project that can be done in minutes!

Pretty for both day and night.

Please be sure to visit all today's inspiring Ten on the 10th posts!

Patina and Paint

Poofing the Pillows

The Boondocks Blog

Pandora's Box

Exquisitely Unremarkable

Cottage at the Crossroads

My Heart Lives Here (that's me)

Blessings,

Joining: The Scoop Inspire Me Tuesday Amaze Me Monday

By: Eilis

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Decor Finds on a Ten Dollar Budget

Welcome to Ten on the 10th!

Today we are all sharing home decor.

I love to include natural elements in decorating. Here are a few for around ten dollars.

My first find is a succulent dish garden for $6.48. Yes, the plants are real!

Where did I find this little treasure?

It was in the gardening department at Lowe's, outside near the cash registers.

The rocks are glued in, so no mess either.

This little cutie is perfect to top a stack of books on a table.

Next up....

This wood board from IKEA is intended to cut/serve food. It's priced at $7.99.

What a great base for candles or succulents.

Or both.

My third idea will give any bathroom a spa feeling.

The wooden box was $5.99 at IKEA.

Just drop in this fern from Lowe's.

And you get this.

(I know... together they were 97 cents over ten dollars. Oops.)

Here's a cute centerpiece for the bistro table in my sun room that would also work for party table decorations.

The Kalanchoe plant was $4.99 at IKEA.

The pot and dish were under $4 together at Lowe's

And my last beautiful bargain was this tiny orchid in a white pot.

I bought it for $9.99 at Lowe's and then saw one for a little less at IKEA.

It's sitting on a stack of silver coasters on top of books just as happy as a little flower can be.

I hope you found some easy and affordable inspiration here today.

Please visit the rest of the Ten on the 10th stops to see many more!

Exquisitely Unremarkable

Cottage atthe Crossroads

My Heart LivesHere (me)

Blessings,

Joining these Parties:
Grace at Home

By: Eilis

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Setting Up an Assisted Living Apartment

Recent weeks have had me doing a completely different kind of home making. I've been downsizing my mother-in-law's home from a house to a small assisted living apartment. Here are some things that I have found work well. There are affiliate links in this post. If you use one to make a purchase, I will be compensated, but your cost will not change.

1. Smaller pieces of furniture to replace some full size ones

This assisted living apartment, like many I saw, includes a small kitchen area (sink, microwave, and mini refrigerator). There is a little space for a kitchen table, but not for the large one she had in her house. I found a small farmhouse kitchen table on Houzz. It measures about 40 x 29 inches and has a leaf for an additional 12 inches.

My mother-in-law eats her meals in a community dining room, but still appreciates a place to write or eat a snack.

Explore dining room tables on Houzz

We brought two of her own kitchen chairs to use with it. This was important in surrounding her with as many familiar things as possible. Luckily, one of her little hutches fits in the kitchen area. It is filled with the figurines that hold sentimental value for her. The drawers below are full of her family pictures.

2. Using pieces in new ways

My mother-in-law's assisted living apartment is roomy enough that we brought her sofa and two easy chairs for the living area. She happened to have a wicker basket large enough to use as a coffee table (similar to the one shown below). This has worked out well for blanket storage and a place to put her feet up while she watches television.

We also used a nightstand from a spare bedroom as a small t.v. stand. This made a couple of drawers available for storage.

3. Senior friendly clocks

Knowing what the day is has become as important to my mother-in-law as the time is to me. She was delighted by this digital calendar day clock. In fact, she likes it so much that I purchased one for her living area and another for her bedroom. I really cannot recommend this item enough if there is a senior in your life who is constantly asking what day it is. It is very reassuring for him or her to be able to obtain this information independently.

The clock can hang on a wall or stand on a table. The time appears as soon as it is plugged in, but you may need to adjust it to your time zone. There is a battery back up, but it just saves the time until the power is restored. This clock also comes in other frame colors.

5. A bulletin board

There are bulletin boards with calendars of the daily events posted in the halls of the assisted living facility. However, I knew my mother-in-law would be much happier if she could refer to this information frequently in her own home. So I set up a similar area just inside her front door. I also hung a list of phone numbers and other essential information on the board to make it easy to find.

This photo was taken the first day I started to work on the apartment, before we moved her furniture in. It is much cozier now.

6. Lots of photos of family and friends.

I framed several photos of loved ones and hung them up before she even arrived. I noticed that these photos were very important to her in her old home and it was easy to have copies of them waiting for her when she arrived in the new place.

7. Night lights

I used a combination of motion detector lights, smart sensor lights, and traditional night lights to be sure that she wouldn't be stumbling around in the dark to find her way to the bathroom at night. She already had a lamp that turns on when the base is touched. I put that one on her night stand along with a flashlight for emergencies.

8. The resident's own touches

The apartment entrances in this community reflect each resident's own preferences. We chose a favorite cross, wreath, and birdhouse to give my mother-in-law's doorway and front porch feeling.

Once we unpacked the boxes, I asked my mother-in-law where she wanted to hang her favorite art. She was delighted to see her photos from Arizona displayed in her hallway. Being involved in this also went a long way towards helping her remember that this is her new home, not just a place she is visiting on a short trip.

9. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

It was hard to pack up and reduce a household for someone one with memory loss and reduced ability to make decisions. One area that could be simplified was clothing stored in her dresser and chest of drawers. We left everything in those drawers exactly as she was used to having it. I used painter's tape and a Sharpee marker to number the drawers. That way, when they were pulled out while moving the furniture, they were returned to the same positions they had always been in.

10. The daily essentials

Considering how many hotel type services are provided at this complex, I was a little surprised to learn what is not. Items such as toilet paper, paper towels, and a shower curtain are provided by the resident (or family). I have also placed replacement light bulbs, snack foods, a few dishes, glasses, and utensils in the kitchen cabinets. We were allowed to hang curtains but not paint any walls.

It's been two weeks since the big move in. Fortunately, my mother-in-law is settling in very nicely. She enjoys the food, the exercise classes, opportunities for worship, and the company of other people. She finds all the employees kind and helpful. She is now under the care of a physician who sees patients in the convenience of their own apartments. There is also a hairdresser available. We couldn't ask for a better situation for her.

Blessings,

Eilis

By: Eilis

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

You are Welcome Here

I've been crazy busy with lots of things lately. Most of my nest feathering has been at the assisted living apartment that we have moved my mother-in-law into. There's a post coming on that, but like many things in my life right now, it's not quite finished. The good news is that she is settling in to her new home.

This morning I spent some time bringing our home into March. The magnolia wreath is from Michael's.

I hung up this hand painted Holy Spirit sign that I ordered from an Etsy shop called Brush and Twine. It has the words from Francesca Battiselli's inpiring song.

I am including some links in this post, but have no affiliation with the artists.

It was difficult to put away a similar sign that I had hung on this wall at Christmas. Happily, I found a piece that can remain here for the rest of the year.

I purchased these comfy, hand-knitted pillows from Jennifer Helene Home, also on Etsy. The two pillows in the same size, knitted with the same yarn, but in two different stitches, add interest on the pair of recliners.

The recliners were ordered from Weir's, a Dallas furniture store, months ago. My family was a little surprised by their modern lines on the day that they were delivered. Now that we have all adjusted to the change from the more traditional chairs they replaced, I'm pretty happy with my choice. They are substantial and comfortable for my tall husband, yet don't scream recliner. I chose this fabric because it looked good next to our brown leather sofa as well as grays, and won't show dirt. We really live in this room and these chairs have quickly become everyone's favorite place to sit.

The old chairs (that had been purchased for a smaller room in our last home) found a perfect spot in my daughter's apartment. Everyone's happy.