Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Projects versus Partners

I love Spring! Spring means planting, growth, and new life. Spring means projects...for me sometimes this means "house" and/or "yard" projects. Spring means you get to dig around in the dirt. This past weekend the yard projects consisted of spraying my lawn for weeds, spreading ant killer around the house to ward off the little critters from invading my kitchen, fertilizing my rose bushes, and attempting to nip the bag worms on my shrubs in the butt. But today I got to do one of my favorite projects! I got to plant flowers in my flower pots and dig around in the dirt before church. This made for a happy Savage Girl! 

Before I could plant my flowers I had a little project on my hands. So last night I started the flower pot project. I like to reuse items that I have on hand if they are still in working order. I have two really nice strong and durable flower pots that I have used probably for the last 6-7 years. I have had to paint them for the past several years to give them new life. They were an eye sore last night when I started the flower pot project. Last year I had painted them green, but the green paint over the winter decided to chip away leaving a black mess.  


Flower Pot Project "Before"


My mission was to distress the pots and make them look aged, so I took a gamble and experimented with using equal parts paint and Johnson Paste Wax to create a color glaze to paint on the flower pots. Basically I mixed the two products above together and painted them on the flower pots until I had the desired look I was after. 


The end result of phase 1 of the project. 


Phase 2 consisted of spraying the flower pots with a clear spray paint to seal in the color after the color glaze dried completely. Then I had to wait until the flower pots were dry before I could plant my flowers...I'm a little impatient, so I started planting....but I saved the ones above till last:)


I purchased a few new pots at the Dollar General Store to carry out the green and black "look" I had going with my newly repainted flower pots. Then I added a little dirt and some plants...and I was off to planting. 


My updated front door after today's project. 


The end result of my flower pot project :) I think they turned out pretty sweet! What do you think?


I planted a few other things because I got a little plant happy at the two greenhouses I visited. Hopefully I can keep this little guy alive! All of the ferns and succulent plants came from a greenhouse in Hartsville, TN and the annuals I got at the Monroe County High School Greenhouse that supports the local FFA chapter. 


  My tipsy pots! I've had these for the past several years and I love them because they give vertical and visual interest to my yard. Today I planted it full of new flowers for Spring and Summer. FYI there is a steel post in the ground a couple of feet that the clay pots are hanging on.

My favorite quote of the day came from John Pippin tonight at the Mt. Gilead Spring Gospel Meeting, "You need a partner not a project". I have lots of projects going on all the time as you can tell from my post tonight, but a relationship with someone else should be a partnership not a project. With projects you transform and change things...or at least try to change things, but a partner is a person with whom one shares an intimate relationship with. So until I find that "partner" in life to share with I am seeking to be content with waiting for "the one" and I am striving to strengthen my relationship with God. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" Matthew 6:33. 

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