A Chandelier for Baby Emma

My cousin is expecting her first baby… tiny Emma!  A few months ago she asked me whether I thought she could do a chandelier make-over for the nursery.  Of course I knew she could!

But life has been pretty hectic for my cousin, and I knew she hadn’t had time to do one.  So I decided to do one for her baby shower.

It didn’t take long to find just what I was looking for.

I removed the candle sleeves, taped over the wiring, and primed with Zinsser’s spray primer.

I liked the white look, but I checked her Pinterest board for the nursery, and noticed the chandeliers my cousin pinned were metal, with lots of crystals.  I decided to try to go along those lines.

First I spray painted with a silver metal spray paint.  But the finish wasn’t right.

So I went to Menards and found some metallic silver paint.  I mixed it with some black acrylic craft paint I had and painted it on with an artist’s paintbrush.

But still it wasn’t quite what I was hoping, so I cut a small piece of sponge away from my kitchen scrubbing sponge

and dipped it into the paint. 

Then I dabbed it on all over.  I kept dabbing, and adding more black and metallic paint to my paper plate mixture until I was finally satisfied.

See?  Look what a mess I made of my fingers!  (it was fun!)

  

I liked it, but I wanted it to have a little more texture, so I took some pearl white metallic paint and dabbed and smeared it all over the chandelier.  I wasn’t actually sure what it would look like!

But I ended up loving it!

It added a very pretty reflective kind of quality over the silver.

Next I made a sleeve for the chain out of some scrap sheet fabric.

Then I marked the places on the chandelier top and candle holders where I wanted holes for crystal beads.

I am so blessed to have a helpful husband!  Smart, clever, good with tools, handsome…

Oh, right, ahem, well anyway Glenn drilled the little holes with a tiny drill bit and I was ready to decorate!

After looking in a couple of stores, I had decided to order a large spool wrapped with a long string of crystal beads from an online company.  After they arrived, Alix and I took thin jewelry wire and carefully wound it around the beads and poked the wire through the holes Glenn had made. To keep them in place, we used hot glue.

We draped the strands from the top of the chandelier to each of the candle holders.  Then between the candle holders, we draped more strands and twisted the wire ends under the little holders around the tops of the arms and hot glued them into place.

Finally, I found some extra crystal pendants from the stash I had used for our mudroom chandelier.  I threaded a wire through them and twisted one to each candle holder.

All I needed now was to wash the candle sleeves and get some little light bulbs!

And here it is!

A close-up of the pendants,

       

and the strings of crystal beads

Before and After

My cousin was very surprised!  And the happy look on her face when she opened it, was the best gift she could give me!

I hope she won’t mind me putting this picture of her and her Sweetie here!

Congratulations Chris and Beth Ann!  Can’t wait to see little Emma very soon!

The Beauty of A Gentle and Quiet Spirit…

 

There is a saying that goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder”. 

But what if my eyes do not behold beauty when I look in the mirror?

What woman, young or old, hasn’t wondered this about herself?  She looks into the mirror, but isn’t satisfied with the reflection gazing back.

I have five remarkable daughters.  Absolutely beautiful daughters.  And of course I think they are lovely in appearance, in figure and face.  But the beauty that shines most clearly to me, is the beauty of their spirits.  They are each one different in personality, in strengths and weaknesses.

But the Holy Spirit lives in each one of them.  And I can see them growing in beauty, day by day, as He works in their hearts transforming them from the inside out.

But of course they don’t have their mother’s perspective!  And so they are not usually aware of many of the ways they are changing.  Nor do they see themselves with my eyes; they don’t know they are beautiful.

Last night at bedtime, one of my daughters shared with me that when she looks into the mirror, she is more than disappointed with what she sees.  Instead of seeing the shining beauty of that generous, kind, sweet and loving spirit, she sees freckles, and curly hair that wants to make itself frizzy in the summer heat and moisture and refuses to be tamed by comb or conditioner. And as I listen to her talking, sharing her disappointment with me, I can think of how many times I have felt the same thing about myself.

 

And the words God brings to my mind are from His Word.  The best words I know.  And I tell her, and I tell myself, those precious words that are meant for both of us, from 1 Peter 3:4

 “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—  but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.”

 

No matter whether you are a young lady, or a woman, you may at sometime or another be tempted to feel a sense of disappointment or discontentment with your outward appearance. 

Remember, the beauty you see in the mirror is only outward.

It is perishable.

But that beauty inside of you!

It is imperishable!  It is true beauty! 

Beauty that your Father sees, and He lets others see in you, as well.

I see it. 

Friends From Far Away

 

We are blessed with many wonderful friendships.  Some of our friends live close to us, and others live farther afield.

  These dear friends came all the way from Utah last week, and we were grateful to spend a whole day with them while they were in town.

These are only some of the pictures which show snippets of our time together.  The fun and good conversation, the love and affection we share for each other are a blessing to every one us Orrs!

Enjoy!

 

Kate organized a couple of dances with the younger girls, and not only did she do their hair and makeup and costuming, she also helped them create “stage” names.

       

Even the boys watched the show, and seemed to agree with us that it was adorable.

          But of course parents are usually the best audience.

 

The moms and kids had lunch together, and then later the dads joined us all for dinner.

 

After dinner, we spent some time outside…

Watching the kids on the zip line…

 

     

 

 

 

        

 

And some of the adults too..

 

 

And Luke set up a dirt bike trail/run for the boys, where they spent a great deal of their time throughout the whole day.

 

                      

 

It was so much fun.  A day we will all remember.

 

  

Hurry Back Friends!!!!  We love you!!