A Little Peace and Quiet

My husband and I spent the weekend in the mountains of Arizona.  It was SO peaceful and quiet.  Since my life is rather frenetic and busy, there is not much down time. It wasn’t until I was the midst of serenity and stillness that I realized how much I miss the absence of noise.

For me, the mornings there are the best. With the dawn, the sun light streams through the trees and the day starts anew.

There has been so much rain lately.  The 3.5 hour car drive was glorious~~lots of green and plenty of wildflowers along the way. Thank goodness for all the precipitation as it has helped reduce the threats of forest fires.

One of my favorite places to have my morning coffee is the small screened in porch off the kitchen.

I purchased the day bed a few years back and it was in sad shape-chipped white paint with rust spots. Chippy, shabby chic paint is all the rage, but back then it looked decrepit to me.  I spray painted it a mossy/sage green.  The day bed actually pulls out to a full double bed, hence the two base cushions.

Cushions were made by the experts and I. through trial and error, made all the other pillows.

I found this rattan chair in a local second hand store. I do need to create a lumbar pillow for it, but it’s the perfect place to read on a chilly day.

The small bistro table and two chairs was made by a New Mexico artisan passing through who sold it to a local store.  I’ve never seen another one like it.

Beyond the porch you can see our wood sculpture in the driveway. We lost a very large Ponderosa pine tree due to beetle infestation. Instead of cutting it to the ground, we had a local artisan turn it into this.

The lantern in his left hand is solar powered and lights up at night. The ball at the top of his wand is a globe that changes different colors. It, too, is solar powered.

The weekend wasn’t all R& R and we completed a small project while we were there.

There is a side porch that has been unused for a few years.  I had purchased an old pine table many moons ago and brought it up to the cabin envisioning fabulous dinner parties.  Guess how many dinner parties I have had so far? One! Yep, just one…during the 4th of July weekend this year.

Here is a before picture of the porch…..truly underutilized.

And here is what it looks like now! It needs some other elements (rugs, art?) but this is a good start.

My husband hung outdoor lights over the table.  The furniture is protected with an overhang, which is perfect during those mountain thunder storms.

I am finally able to use these fun bistro chairs and outdoor furniture I purchased to stage my last remodel (the Willetta house).

Now it’s time to entertain!  Unfortunately we just don’t get up to the mountains as much as we would like.  Maybe Labor Day????

I am still feeling the after effects of the weekend’s solitude. Sending you some peace and quiet.  I certainly need more of that in my life.

 

 

Tree Carving Artist- Trent from the Burly Bear, Pinetop, AZ

Chairs from Wayfair

Coffee Cup- Anthropology

Red Outdoor Furniture: Lowe’s