Learning Experience vs. Failure

Sometimes projects just don't go my way or at least the way I imagined it would go.  It's been a week of those kind of projects but I've decided instead of letting them be failures I'm going to think of them as learning experiences.  To me the difference between a learning experience and failure is whether I give up (failure) or look for a solution and move forward (learning experience)  Here's just a little of what I'm talking about.

Set up our borrowed humongous 10 foot, 800 lights pre-lit artificial tree the day after Thanksgiving and only about half the lights work.  Common problem, right?  Bob fiddled with it and got a few more working but not enough to make it look good.  Got permission from my sister (who owns the tree) to strip the lights and put on our own strands.  We both thought it would be a job but fairly simple and maybe an hour.....

(that's 800 lights about half of a garage trash can)

Both of us working on it for 3 1/2 hours got it done but not without major frustration, questioning why we were doing it and thoughts of cancelling Christmas dancing through our heads. HOWEVER we didn't give up! 

Second example this week, I'm working on a desk for the kids.  Yes, another DESK!  Got it primed twice because it's laminate and the paint needs something to stick to.  Then I picked out a soft gray for the actual paint color.  This week it got two coats of "gray" paint before Bob asked me if I was done priming it.

(example of the primer I put on kids desk because I didn't take a pic)

                                      

(two coats of actual paint and several hours later.)

          
Yep, the paint color is horrible and almost the exact color of the primer.  Funny thing is I knew this after the first coat but convinced myself if I just keep painting the "not gray-gray" would turn gray.  Chemistry was not on my side and it took Bob pointing that our for me to admit it.  Still not a failure though because instead of giving up I poured some black paint into my half used quart of "not gray - gray" and ended up with a decent color.

I'm a work in progress along with my projects and constantly learning or choosing to learn instead of giving up.  It's also a good reminder of how blessed I am when these are my concerns.  I have people all around me facing real difficulties in life.  Struggling spiritually, emotionally and physically.  My prayer is that when faced with real difficulties they can all be used for a learning experience.

Joanie's Junk Part II

I'm back today with even more wonderfulness from Joanie's Junk.  How about I let the pictures speak for themselves?

I wish every window in my house looked like these.

Adorable tree for a small space or even front porch!

Perfect for an entry way.

Any of this in a vintage kitchen would be perfection.

(my mom took home the white washed rocking horse!)

A little twist on the traditional red and green.....

I'm a sucker for white dishes and couldn't get enough of this.

Okay one more of white dishes...

(Warned you I couldn't get enough of them!)

This is the kind of school where I could have been an A student. Yes, the wreath is made out of rolled maps!!

The lady, the legend....it's Joanie herself (the only picture of her I could snap was while she was talking to a customer)

Hope you enjoyed all of Joanie's work.  I'm really not getting paid to say any of this I just really love Joanie's shop and have dragged countless friends the hour+ drive just so they can take it all in for themselves.  I hear over and over that it's always worth the trip!  Of course, you have to remove the back seat in the van so you are limited to 4 friends per vehicle but we've had up to 3 vans at once! 

Now I'm dying to go back and soon...who's with me?

Joanie's Junk

Main Street

Morganville, KS

Open Saturdays 10:00-2:00

Joanie's Junk Part I

I got to spend the weekend in one of my favorite places....Clay County, KS.  I grew up there, my family is there and it will always be home.  I could go on and on about the beauty of the country, the quiet and slow pace of life I feel while visiting but this post is actually about my favorite place to shop when I'm home.  If you've read very many posts before I go on and on about Joanie's Junk so today you get to see photos and learn more about Joanie and her AMAZING shop!

Joanie specializes in rustic and refined home furnishings.  She buys furniture and really great junk at auctions, estate sales or any other place she can find potentially beautiful things.  She can take a piece of furniture, most would discard, and turn it into a piece that steals all the attention in your home.

She opened her first shop across from her current location in Morganville, KS seven years ago this month.  Five years ago she bought an old bank building and with the help of her husband Marc turned it into the awesomeness it is today.

This weekend she hosted a Christmas Open House and the place was so amazing.  Everywhere I looked there was a Christmas tree decorated in everything from ice skates to deer antlers.

Joanie had decked out the halls with ornaments, wreaths and lights.

She made this wreath out of sheet music....gorgeous!

Have I mentioned before how much I love black distressed furniture?  That obsession started at Joanie's.....

If I could have loaded up the minivan with all of the goodies I wanted Joanie would have had to keep the kids...sounds fair to me!

(yes, that is my van out the window)

Okay, here is the crazy part I have enough photos to do a whole other post on Joanie's tomorrow...that's how much is in her shop and truly beautiful it all is.  If you haven't already, visit Joanie's Junk on Facebook or even better make the trip out to Morganville, KS to check out her goods.  She is open on Saturdays from 10:00-2:00 however she will be closed this Saturday November 26th (she has a gorgeous family too that deserve some of her time)  Stay tuned for part II tomorrow!