Wednesday, May 10, 2017

"Counting Flowers On the Wall...."



The old 1966 song of the Statler Brothers ran through my mind over and over as I crawled into my bed one afternoon this week trying to catch up on rest I've missed at night for a week now, coughing my throat raw.




Tissue boxes have been my best friend for eight days now.

The afternoon that I was lying in bed alternating between chills and sweats,
my brain serenading me with the lines,
"Counting flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all...",
I wondered when I would ever feel well enough to get
photographs of my bedroom for my blog as well as
those for RH's bedroom.

I reached for my phone and shot up at the new fir beadboard ceiling that RH worked on all last week, tearing down a horrible acoustical tile ceiling, thankfully the only one in the house.



That brown thing in the corner that's for the new molding will be painted white when RH finds time to do touch up painting on the walls that he also painted last week with Benjamin Moore Dove White--or the Home Depot's copy of it.

I turned to my left and snapped my reading chair and bed table.


Yep, there's Cepacol and Vick's Vapor Rub and the toilet paper roll I was forced to use when RH had to go buy more tissues. 


And my tall vintage rose lamp that was carefully packed for the move in a huge box by itself with lots of pillows around it.

Otis usually sleeps in my chair while Milo burrows under a blanket in his bed.


Outside one window the tulip poplar is loaded with yellow flowers.


And there's a treasured old piece of embroidery.


I turn over to the right and see my mother's red Bible and another beloved lamp. RH has both my bedside lamps on a remote where I don't have to get out of bed to turn them off after reading at night.


On the far wall is an old lithograph of John Constable's Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows that I've had for fifty years.



I sang "Counting flowers on the wall that don't bother me at all, playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one, smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo, now don't tell me I've nothin' to do" over and over as I coughed continuously and actually thought I had a brilliant idea to shoot the photos for my bedroom reveal from a sick bed.



Fever does strange things to a mind.

Yesterday I actually made my bed and didn't get into it.

Progress.


I do think my bedroom is a vast improvement from the listing photo, don't you?


The fan's gone now. We moved a light fixture from the hall into my bedroom and one from the kitchen into the hall.



A few final photos...will you forgive me for so many, 
maybe for one reason only?
Not because I've been sick but because.....

It's my birthday!!!!

I received beautiful cards...


And Jo Malone Tuberose and Angelica cologne...


And the loveliest flowers...


And a new sink, complete with installation!


Not to mention a whole kit of Young Living Essential Oils that I've been wanting, and a pot of African Paradise that I tried this afternoon in the shower.

And herbs all potted up from RH in 35 year old Italian terracotta pots given to us by RH's brother....

Oh the pictures could go on and on and I bet you're so glad they're not!

My heart is full of thankfulness for coming home to spend this birthday in our sweet little 1935 cottage.

And I'm am so very grateful for each of you who visits Dewena's Window.

Thank you for your patience viewing this harebrained way of posting my bedroom reveal.

Love to you and God bless you,

Dewena


33 comments:

  1. Happy, happy birthday, Dewena! May you be blessed with a healthy, fun-loving and creative year, full of smiles and sweetness from your friends and family, who all adore you!

    How brilliant of you to make the best out of a very stressful and exhausting situation, coming up with the idea to snap some shots of your 'semi' permanent' surroundings. I love the one with the bathroom tissue and know how it can be the most precious piece of paper in the house when you realize there's no more Kleenex for your runny nose! A true treasure!

    Such lovely gifts and cards you received from near and far. And when I say near, your hubby's thoughtful gestures made my heart melt. WOW! Planting aromatic herbs (which I know you love!) in those Italian terracotta pots, installing a new sink, fixing your bedroom ceiling, and let's not forget, fetching you more tissues! I must spritz on some Jo Malone Tuberose and Angelica cologne the next time I'm in town, it sounds intriguing! And all those gorgeous essential oils, each one providing specific therapeutic delight!

    Now that your sinus cavity is clear, enjoy your array of aromatic ambiance of fresh flowers, herbs, essential oils and cologne! I hope your birthday was the best! Glad you're feeling better!

    Love,
    Poppy

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    1. Thank you for your sweet birthday wishes, Poppy! And please do sniff some of the Tuberose cologne when you get the chance. When I asked Christy for a new scent for my birthday, she went to a perfume "expert" at Nordstrom's and he asked her what I used to love. She thought back to her childhood when her daddy would give me a tiny bottle of Joy every Christmas and how I wore it until it became too expensive. He told her that the Jo Malone scent was a contemporary version of Joy. Success! I love this divine scent!

      But I must tell you that the new sink and installation was a gift from our first born son, not RH. And I'm enjoying the new sink so much! Besides the herbs, RH bought me a Kousa dogwood and told me to order the special Ahava products I love and have been out of. Very nice man!

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  2. for one who always says too much i am honestly speechless.
    there is no one like you!
    a brilliant tour from your sick bed. i loved everything about it! and it's NEVER too many pictures! EVER! each one more special than the last. i'm so glad you're finally on the mend and that your birthday was just like you... BEAUTIFUL! xoxo♥ (and the fresh fir ceiling? the best smell in the world!!!)

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    1. Thank you so much, Tammy! Only a true friend would call this post brilliant, but I appreciate it so much. And thank you for your birthday email, which is one I will treasure reading over and over!

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  3. Oh, dear Dewena, I am so sorry you have been counting flowers on the wall for so many days! BUT HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! And, yes, a VAST improvement!! Love. love. love. the ceiling! Your bedroom is a perfect "nest". I do hope you get to venture out of it this week! Sending prayers for continued improvement. blessings and hugs ~ tanna

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    1. Thank you so much, Tanna! For the birthday and get well wishes and for loving my new ceiling! I feel a little foolish about gushing so much over a ceiling, for heaven's sake, but I hated the old one so much and it was a true labor of love for my husband to give this one to me.

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    2. And I forgot to say that our dear landlord (youngest son) paid for the supplies for it!

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  4. Happy Birthday Dewena!
    This is the first time I have ever been to your blog. I absolutely love it. I found you from the blog list on Brenda's Cozy House. I love all your pictures. Glad your feeling better and can enjoy the day. Thanks for sharing with us.

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    1. Thank you so much, Kaylene! That is so sweet of you and I'm so glad to meet you. Any friend of Brenda of Cozy Little House is a friend of mine! Please come again anytime.

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  5. Happiest of Birthdays to you, Dewena! I LOVE your bedroom reveal. There are so many things that I am oohing and aahing over. The ceiling is heavenly. It reminds me of the ceiling on our screened in back porch, where I would sit afternoons and read and drink tea and write. If I had that ceiling in my bedroom, I would never get out of bed;) I hope you are on the fast road to recovery. Hugs to you xo

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    1. Thank you, dear Karen! I'm glad the ceiling reminded you of your back porch. It sounds as if it was a magical place to spend a sunny afternoon, everything a porch should be. Hugs to you too!

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  6. Happy, happy birthday, Dewena! I'm glad you are feeling better for your celebratory day.
    What a clever idea to photograph your bedroom from the bed - a vantage point that reveals the true nature of your room. The wood ceiling is beautiful.
    Your gifts sound like they were thoughtfully chosen and will be very much appreciated.
    Hugs across the miles on your special day!

    Lorrie

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  7. Although I'm really sorry you've been sick, I have to admit that I loved this post. Real life my friend and a beautiful one it is. I love your bedroom and it's a vast improvement, even with a tp roll ;)

    Happy Birthday, my dear! May you have many more happy ones :)

    love to you,
    rue

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  8. Happy Birthday!!! I am so sorry to hear that you have been sick. I hope that you are on the mend fully now. Your ceiling is absolute gorgeous. I love it! I would be counting boards instead of sheep every night. xoxo Kim

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  9. So sorry you are not feeling well. Ugh! Hoping you start to feel much better soon. The ceiling in your bedroom is beautiful. Love the new light fixture too. Have a great rest of the week and a beautiful day on Sunday. Happy Birthday and Happy Mothers Day.
    Hugs
    Kris

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  10. Happy, Happy Birthday, Dewena!!!! Oh my gosh, I'm drooling over that Jo Malone perfume, I absolutely love tuberose and I bet it's fabulous!!!! Glad you are feeling better!!

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  11. Happy Birthday dearest Dewena! I loved seeing all of these snippets from your sweet cottage.

    I pray that you'll soon be feeling much better and be enjoying flowers outside as well as inside.

    Love & hugs ~ FlowerLady

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  12. Happy Birthday to youuuuu, Happy Birthday to youuuuuuu, Happy Birthday dear Dewenaaaaaaa, Happy Birthday to youuuuuuuuuu!

    Just be glad you can't hear me ;).

    Now, what's this about you being sick?? That simply will NOT do! Especially on or near your birthday! But I suppose it's a great way to get pampered, but something tells me you get a lot of that anyway ;).

    So you planked your bedroom wall? We did the same in the cabin in the third bedroom. Made a big difference for us as it did for you.

    May your year be filled with only good things sweet lady 💕

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  13. I love how real this post is, Dewena, although all of your are. I've often laid in my bed and loved the sun coming coming in or the dogs resting their heads on my leg and thought, gee, I wish I could reach my camera! I love your ceiling and although I'm feeling bad that you had this bug, the photo of your chair, medicines and tp roll make yo you all the more real and lovable to all of us. I hope you are much better by now.

    A big Happy Birthday to you, my friend! I hope you were feeling well enough to toast to many, many more!

    Jane xxx

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  14. I hope by the time you read this that you will be recovered from that nasty bug! Dewena, you are so real! We've all been there and been down in bed. What a great idea it was to take your bedroom photos from there. I love the ceiling and seeing all your personal things. I hate decorating shows where the decorator chooses all the things they like. Where is the owner's personality in that? You have surrounded yourself with your memories and mementos. Your world is personal to you and that's the way it should be.

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  15. Thank you for sharing your real life with us, Dewena. I feel as though you're my very good friend who has invited me into her charming home. Your bedroom is so cozy, and I can understand the special packing your vintage rose lamp received. It's beautiful. What a tragedy it would be to have it broken in transit. Happy belated birthday. Hugs, Nancy

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  16. While I loved all these views of your lovely room, I am so sorry that you were sick and confined to your bed. Your ceiling makes my heart go pitter-pat...I love wooden ceilings. Your husband did that work? I am so impressed! I love the idea of putting the bedroom lamps on a remote. We just might have to do that.

    Happy belated birthday! You received some really lovely gifts. Hope you are feeling much better by now. {{hugs}}

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  17. Oh my Dear Dewena, so sorry to read that you have been so unwell, I hope you are 100% again soon.

    Your photo's are lovely to see ...

    But most importantly belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
    Lovely cards and flowers.

    My good wishes

    All the best Jan

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  18. Sorry that you've been sick!

    I love the shot out the window with the lace curtain.

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  19. You've certainly made your sick bed into a place of beauty, dear Dewena, the agents should hire you to style their sales photos, you have such a talent for making a house a home. Feel Better! And a Happy Birthday! And a hug!
    Amalia
    xo

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  20. Happy Birthday my friend, and get well wishes.
    I love the photos, I just love the polka dot lampshade.

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  21. Happy Birthday sweet lady! I hope you felt much better and that you are ALL better now! I had something a couple of months ago and it left me with a dry cough for a long time. Sending you lots of birthday hugs! (hope you are still celebrating! heehee) Hugs!

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  22. Thank you for your tour, love the sentiments. Bless listing photos. Kept your home on market, till you bought !

    Adore the pause singing the line, Smoking Cigarettes & Watching Captain Kangaroo. Exactly why the Statler brothers make the big bucks.

    Knew listing photos for our house, hid the wonder of the house from 1st glance on zillow. Walking in? A 'LIFE' moment.

    Get well, stay well. Got sick sick last year, started allegra last december thru to this month. No allergies or sinus turned into trouble.

    Garden & Be Well, XO T

    (Much good/great about NASA childhood, excepting, born 1960, its tragic events took away my childhood. Dad trained those men, built their rockets, they were our neighbors. Dad's work came out as anger at home. My sister, 3 years older, got thru fine, I was just the wrong age for Grissom/White/Chaffee. Pentagon put dad on the investigative team, pentagon called again putting him on challenger team. Was out of college by then. But knew too well what it meant. And, yes, plenty of marks inside the shuttle too, just like apollo 1, with the team trying to get out b4 it hit water. Yes, wish I had a tape recorder from family dinner table growing up. Oh the NASA sexcapades my mom could write, we were too young to hear real details. Only realizing recently why she stayed away from all the astronaut wives in our neighborhood, she knew what their husbands were doing, crew training banter while dad was with them. Excepting Mrs. Aldrin, neat lady, she was incredible. Of course her's messed around too.)

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    1. I remember that sad day, Tara. But to think of what it did to your father, and then to you, makes it even worse.

      Friends, Tara is writing here in response to a message I left her on her current blog post. She grew up in the midst of American history being made in the space program of which her father was an important part. Go read about it!

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  23. I'm sorry to hear you've been so sick, but what a fun way to share your newly done bedroom with us! I enjoyed the tour very much! Hope you are feeling much better by now and able to enjoy spring :)

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  24. Oh, Dewena, thanks so much for stopping by my blog after my long absence and leaving a lovely comment. You are the best friend I have never met! I hope that someday we might meet. Who knows. It's possible.

    I hope you are feeling better. Once you are, you will feel like a new woman!

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  25. Happy birthday! But, I'm sorry that you have been sick. I love the way the new ceiling turned out. xoxo Su

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  26. First of all, happy birthday!!! This was a wonderful post, and a brilliant idea to take the pictures from the bed. I love the room, and it is so much nicer than in the listing photo. I don't think I'd like a fan over the bed. I fear it would somehow come down on me. Haha! Glad you are feeling better.

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