Retreating into Springtime Creativity & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up On the Edge #753

The winter seemed so, so long this year which was exacerbated by the huge snow dumps as well as a seriously deep dive into my own psyche. That is what the hibernation months are for, aren’t they? To rest and rejuvenate while also making plans for the awakening season.

For the past six years, I have chosen a motivational word that would help shape and inspire how I want my life to be over the subsequent 12 month period. I have always shared those posts in early January but this year I completely forgot. My previous focus words (or mantras) of the year have been think smaller to go bigger and letting go (2019), reinvention (2020), perspective and gratitude (2021 and 2022), healing (2023), and badassery (2024).

My word for 2025 is retreat. In light of my personal experiences over the last year, I have fled unapologetically into retreat mode and I plan on remaining isolated, secluded, safe, and happy within the confines of my beloved home surrounded by my amazing little family. While in retreat mode, my focus has been on my kids, my husband, myself, and my home. I am no longer willing to allow people or things into my sacred spaces if they are going to detract from the joy and happiness that I have painstakingly curated for myself through decades of deep introspection followed by purposeful action. It turns out that a half century of intense self scrutiny and reflection have left me unable to tolerate the bullshit that people keep trying to feed me. Guess what? I am not hungry for bullshit at all and I will decline any and all offers to eat other people’s shit. But most people don’t get it and continue to offer me their shit to eat. So now I am retreating and I have literally never been happier!

Retreat mode has not only improved my level of happiness, it has also led me into a flurry of creativity. So this post is more about my raggery and upcycled junk projects than it is about retreating. I hope you enjoy what I have been creating (or re-creating, so to speak).

My first project was a super easy way to upcycle old vases. I had picked up a few bunches of tulips from Aldi just before Easter. I was looking for vases to display them when I realized all of my favorite vases had stuff in them. So I went digging around in my basement and found two clear vases that were the perfect size. But they were so boring and plain that I was actually offended by them. So I raggified them with scraps of fabric and strings that I had been saving for some raggy project or other. The project was so simple that it took about 10 minutes to complete both vases. I could not be happier with the end result of my raggy vases. They really make me smile!

Another Easter project that I completed in late March is my giant brightly colored hanging porch eggs. My husband had brought home these two large pieces of scrap metal from work that were in the shape of eggs and asked if there was anything I could use them for. Well, yes, of course, I can use huge pieces of junk metal. I love junk and I will find a way to make it not junk.

So I headed off to Lowe’s and picked up four different colors of spray paint, some sealer, and a roll of painter’s tape. I painted both sides of the egg shapes so I would have four different patterns.

My original plan was to stake them into the ground in my front yard so you could see both sides, but then I got the idea to suspend them between the porch ceiling and railing so they would spin around in the wind. Once they were painted and dried, my husband drilled holes in them and hung them exactly as I imagined. I brought my wind chime collection out of winter storage to complete my Easter front porch decor. Now that Easter has passed, however, I need to replace the eggs so we are working on creating sheet metal butterflies and/or flowers.

I also really need to pressure wash my front porch. Gosh, it looks terrible. I am planning to paint the wood once we clean it. Stay tuned!

My next project was actually done in the fall. My mother-in-law loves those little display shelves for bric-a-brac as much as I love the word bric-a-brac. That would be a lot of love in case you didn’t know how much I love the word bric-a-brac. It is one of my favorites. It’s just so fun to say.

I found this cute wooden shelf for a few dollars on a thrifting adventure in the fall as my mother-in-law was getting ready to decorate for Halloween. I painted it purple and black with some homemade chalk finish paint, lightly distressed it, and sealed it with a coat of wax.

It turned out so adorable with all the Halloween bric-a-brac. My mother-in-law did not stop there, however. She switched it up for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Easter.

All this cuteness made me think she needed another one plus she had also mentioned to me that she would like a second bric-a-brac shelf in more summery colors. I went out a-thrifting a few weeks back and found this sweet shelf that would be perfect with a beachy makeover.

Again I made my own chalk finish paint using paint that I had on hand. Just add some Plaster of Paris and a little bit of water and you have your own custom colors of chalk finish paint. My living room is painted in shades of blue that remind me of the ocean so I used the leftover paints from that makeover.

I wanted to change the drawer pull so I went to Hobby Lobby in search of a beach themed knob. They had lots of charming pulls to choose from…mermaids and seashells and lighthouses and fish…but none were small enough. I never did find a new pull for the little drawer, but I did find a delightful selection of seaside themed bric-a-brac. I couldn’t resist filling the display shelf before gifting it to my mother-in-law. I am excited to see how she changes it up through the seasons!

Finally, I want to share a very special gift that I received from my mother-in-law for Easter. For Mother’s Day in 2021, she had given me two of her mother’s butterfly brooches. I cherish them so much because Nanny and I had a special bond as well as a shared affection for butterflies. Whenever I see butterflies or images of butterflies, I know that she is with us. In fact, I just wore one of those pins with my thrifted double denim outfit on Monday.

Well, it seems that Nanny had even more butterfly brooches just waiting for my mother-in-law to pass on to me! And Easter 2025 was the occasion. Imagine my surprise when I opened the box with four beautiful vintage butterfly pins. I have a whole flock of them now. Look how pretty!

I have a bunch of other projects in the works that I will share as they are completed. Spring is finally here and I am creatively energized. I just went on a junking adventure with my sister in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They have so many fabulous flea markets and thrift shops around there. We found some great junk and some pretty awesome new stuff, too…coming soon.

That’s it for now. Always remember that one person’s junk is another person’s treasure!

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Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Keeping it on the edge, 

Shelbee

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