Cottage on Rosewood

Bloom

2012-02-15T14:32:00.000-06:00

I seriously cannot wait for this book to arrive. I preordered it weeks ago.

If you haven’t preordered your copy, check out what Kelle is offering in exchange for preordering!

25 Things Linky Party

2012-02-08T13:06:00.001-06:00

I decided to link up to Shaunna's fun party today, just to see my list. Well and maybe to actually force myself to sit down!

1. No matter what I do, I cannot find enough time in the day. Like, ever!

2. I have not had one week without multiple sporting events since July of last year. I’m burned out.

3. I love sunshine. I crave it like a drug. There hasn’t been much lately.

4. My second oldest graduates from 8th grade this year and my oldest will be 22 the same month. Lots of tears in May.

5. My dad and my hubs are going to look at a 5 acre spread that sits on a river today. I’ve already looked at it. And it gives a whole new meaning to the term “fixer upper” but it boasts an old dance hall/studio for me.

6. Did I mention the chicken coop?

7. Did I mention that I already named Carson the chicken hunter?

8. I love the silence in the morning, that and a good hot cup of coffee.

9. I really love to take pictures.

10. We just might actually move….again….and start all over!

11. I get up 3 days a week at 5 a.m. to work-out. Boot camp style. Not fun.

12. I’ve only lost 10 pounds in a year. But I can do lots of push-ups and lunges, that means I’m stronger.

13. I’m super duper cheap. It’s rubbing off on my kids.

14. I gave the 8th grader money to buy a daddy-daughter dance dress and shoes. I prayed I gave her enough cash. She bought 3 dresses, 3 pairs of shoes, a pair of jeans, fake glasses and a glasses case and still had money left over. She’s a frugal rockstar! I’m so proud.

15. Last daddy daughter dance is this year. More tears.

16. She gets her license in 2 years. Even more tears.

17. I melted down on Saturday night at the thought of leaving my house. Again with the tears. I’m like a blubbering fool.

18. We just remodeled the dining room and I still have not shared pictures.

19. I blame sports for my lack of posting. I can’t even find time to get my hair done.

20. I’m amused by this list making thing.

21. It isn’t even Spring and I can’t wait until Summer.

22. I haven’t been on vacation in 5 years. Oh I need one so badly.

23. I pay someone to come by my house every two weeks and deep clean my floors. Tomorrow is one of those days.

24. I wish I could work from home. I miss my kiddos an awful lot while I’m at work. Thank God for Meme (the babysitter) though I hate to call her that because she is so much more.

25. I texted my hairdresser/friend today because I have to reschedule my haircut again….told her I am in desperate need of a wax, I look like Tom Selleck.

When I started, I thought I would have a hard time coming up with 25. Wrong! I bet I could come up with 25 more.

2012 Kitchen Plans

2012-01-06T13:03:00.000-06:00

Hi…um, Hello, how are you? I am fine, thanks for asking. It’s been a while, but like any old friend, we can just pick up where we leave off and go on. You guys are cool like that.

It seems like time just keeps getting further and further away from me. People always ask me how I do it all and work full time and I can only say, I cry a lot. All kidding aside, I really do struggle to get it all done. Just like all of the other women/mothers in the world. We try to be super heros. Thankfully, I realize while I possess no super powers, I do have an ability to multitask and not sweat the mess (non-stop renovating and laundry are to blame).

I suppose if I would take on fewer projects or convince the hubby I need to simply quit my job (can ya say more work), I would find some time to actually complete Project A before I decide Project B should take precedence. But if there is one thing that can light a fire under my rump like no other, it is the thought of the MIL arriving on a train from Texas in about one week. Yikes.

We have been so busy repainting walls and doors and installing crown moulding (or molding, according to Google either is appropriate) that I have failed to take any in-progress pictures.

We have, however {for the most part} completed the dining room renovation. The items left to cross off that honey-do-room list are touch-up wall paint, order this rug from this lovely lady, whose taste is impeccable and doesn’t mind helping you pick out a rug, nor does she mind giving you a push to step-out-of-your-comfort-zone. She’s a wise one and she is like your mama, always right! I’m so proud to call her friend. Oh and hang the light fixtures, which are still up in the air because apparently disassembling ancient rusty light fixtures is no easy task. Sore subject, we just won’t go there today.

We also aren’t going to mention wall art because no matter what, I waffle constantly when it comes to putting holes in the walls. Seriously, it is a problem and I hope someday when I grow up I can over come my anxiety. Sigh! I’m not sure why I have such a crippling fear. I know one thing for sure, I will be hanging the hubby’s giant old school map center stage in there. In our previous home, it hung in his home office and has since been hiding out in a closet waiting for his moment to shine. And he couldn’t be happier. I always ask his opinion and if he genuinely dislikes anything it is an automatic veto. If he is uncertain, he will give it a chance, but he rarely has much input otherwise. I’m just glad the man can fix anything and everything.

Whew, as I just reread that list, I’m worn out. But, all of these things must be done in order to get our house “done”.

In other news, you would think that taking on a major wall-removing renovation might cause us to set aside the very idea of another project, but actually quite the opposite happened. We are apparently gluttons for punishment. We decided that with as much seemingly wasted floor space we now have, it would be the perfect place for a peninsula with some bar stools. You know so the kiddos can hang out and do homework, or I can watch hubby cook some of his yummy dishes.

I have my eye on something similar to what the ever-inspiring Holly recently debuted.

But considering the splurge she made on the corbels is way out of my budget and I will likely be using these salvaged beauties, my father so kindly bid on at an auction for me without even asking (smart man) and only after winning did he call to say that handy hubs could stop and pick them up. And with a $50 price tag for two, I couldn’t pass them up. The cell phone picture he took does not do them justice. They are giant at almost 2 feet, I hope they fit.

And the fun doesn’t stop there, oh no, a peninsula and gorgeous corbels are a perfect excuse to try out concrete countertops too. Kind of like these:

My poor hubby. Seriously, the man is a saint. I mean he never ever complains. Ever!

Finally, amidst all of this, our house is a major disaster area and I can’t wait to cross a few more projects off the list. One that has been a thorn in my side since we moved in has been finished for the most part, and we used this wall

as inspiration for that project. More on that next week, for now, I will wade through the laundry, drywall dust and paint cans and find more work.

What about you? What projects do you have on your agenda for the coming year??

There are no words….

2011-12-19T10:29:00.001-06:00

Early yesterday morning, we woke up to the typical routine. I was out of laundry detergent and the wonderful hubby decided he would take care of it so I could get ready for church. I jumped in the shower and he walked out the door headed for the store. As I type this, I keep thinking about myself yelling mid-shower that whoever is running water needed to turn it off; selfish me. Little did I know, in a desperate attempt to help our neighbors, the hubs was trying to fill a bucket of water to save their home. As he walked out the door, he saw the corner of their garage was on fire and ran over to wake them. On the first try, they didn’t answer. He frantically ran next door to get help and as our other neighbor grabbed a garden hose to douse the flames, they realized the hoses were frozen solid. That is when he ran back across the street to our house and was trying to fill a bucket. Shortly after, Amanda came in screaming the neighbors house was on fire. Thankfully, on his second attempt to rouse them, they came out and were able to get themselves, their twins and their dogs to safety.

It took what seemed like an eternity for the small town volunteer fire department to respond. There was little they could do to save it. The garage is completely gone. Thankfully, they were able to save themselves as well as salvage photos and some personal items. I was heartbroken to learn that all the of the kiddos Christmas presents were wrapped waiting in the garage with only one short week to go before the kids got to open them.

It is with a heavy heart that I type this. I am forever grateful that my husband reacted the way he did. He seems to think he could have done more. I say, making sure everyone got out was more than anyone could ask for. He is a hero in my book. I refuse to think about what could have been.

(taken within minutes of the fire starting)

Today, I am so grateful that my neighbors are alive and unharmed and for my own husband and children.

The material things will be replaced and their home rebuilt. It will be a process. Right now, they have each other and that is what really matters.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T15:25:00.001-06:00

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you,"

that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

I hope you take time this year to be grateful for the blessings you have received.

The Master Plan

2011-11-17T13:54:00.000-06:00

We are still chugging right along in the dining room and we have patched all the doorways and various holes in the walls and are currently installing the necessary furring strips so that there is something to attach the ceiling planks to. When we bought our house, we noticed that the ceilings were looking less than stellar. Reason being, after years of hanging on by nails, it had started to sag. Not badly, but enough for us to know. So we decided to install the ceiling planks for two reasons, one simply for aesthetics, I love the look and second because we knew that we could use the furring strips to sort of re-anchor the ceiling drywall to the joists in the ceiling thereby straightening it and improving the overall look, so while the Mister is busy working on that, I have been playing around with various ideas for the rooms overall plan.

Enter my (attempt at) mood board of sorts.

I found two awesome industrial fixtures at our local antique mall for a measly 8 bucks each. I actually ran to the register. I don’t have a photo of mine as they are currently being rewired. Can’t be too careful. You will find I honestly have an electricity phobia, so getting them rewired will allow me to sleep at night. Next up are those awesome chairs that I have been pining for for quite some time. I have yet to “add item to cart'”, but am really hoping to just do it. While I still love my current chairs I think with the small size of the room, they are just too bulky. Since we have spent only around $150 on the reno so far, I thought I could splurge on a rug and chairs. Especially with Christmas around the corner, but like I said, we shall see. And speaking of rugs, how about that baby. No surprise here, it hails from Pottery Barn and I actually purchased the Bistro Stripe rug and am happy with the quality and the price, so most likely, I will add one to my cart. Finally, I saved the best for last.

That beadboard cabinet. Sigh. Love! There is, of course, a story behind those cabinets too. Yep, I said cabinets.

I was with the hubs one afternoon about 3 years ago and we happened to stop by a friend’s house. We have known this friend since high school and had been to his house many many times. But, I had never been in his (now deceased) stepdad’s shed. To say this man was a collector is an understatement. The place was a giant pole barn and it was packed full. And after much poking around, I saw the cabinets. I couldn’t help myself…I blurted out, “I have to have those” and he of course, said I could. Such a true friend. Well, months later, he still had not made room to haul them out, so one Saturday morning, I called and offered him $100 just to open the door and let my Mister in to pick them up. Long story short, within an hour they were on a utility trailer on their way home. Well, into storage anyway and that is where they have sat for the last few years, patiently waiting to be used. So with the table being technically free and the cabinets only setting me back $100, even if I splurge on the chairs and rug, I’m well under $1,000. How’s that for designing on a dime?

Wish me luck, I'm going back in to help, well for a few minutes anyway, tonight I have a date with my daughter and her bestie to catch the midnight premiere!

I would love to hear your best bargain or the craziest place you went picking!

Tear Down This Wall!

2011-11-14T13:29:00.000-06:00

It may not be as historic as President Reagan's speech, but I feel like after years of pleading my case, it was almost as much work. When we moved into our desperately-in-need-of-some-TLC ranch nearly 4 years ago, we actually needed all 5 bedrooms. The only problem was, the house was originally just your typical rectangular ranch, but an addition in the early 90’s gave it more of a T-shape. An even bigger problem was the placement of that addition; it was attached right in the middle of the house (thus the T-shape) which required removing the only window in the center bedroom. Brandon was temporarily housed there until my nephew and oldest daughter flew the coupe. At that point, we also discovered we were pregnant and scrambled to shift everyone around in order to keep the nursery near our bedroom. And again, we attempted to use the windowless cave as a bedroom and let me just say, we hated it! It wasn’t cozy or sweet, it was dark and bordering on creepy. So, we moved Carson to the guest room and we were left with a windowless storage room.

But what we needed was a dining room. You can see from the photo below just how cramped the gianormous table is. It seemed to stop the flow of the house. It sat right in the middle, between the front door in the living room and the family room addition. It felt heavier than heavy. Insert begging and pleading. (Please ignore the mess in the photo below…it was snapped moments before the Mister tore that wall down.)

It is hard to tell from the picture, but the table must be pulled out anytime a person decides to squeeze in on the back side. Talk about a pain in the rear!

Despite my begging and pleading, hubs thought it might be a bad idea because we are planning on selling within the next years and he was certain people would want a 5 bedroom. My rationale is that if they need 5 bedrooms, they need a big table and a room to house said big table. He wasn’t buying it.

So, for the last 2 years, it has been a no-go. That is until this weekend. I have been becoming increasingly more persistent with my idea. I even offered a trade-off. I get my dining room and hubby gets a heated garage. Maybe he doesn’t realize but it is a win-win for me too. I get the dining room and a heated garage where I can complete more projects..woot woot!

So on Friday night, we emptied the room and started by removing the closets, as opposed to knocking the wall out, in an effort contain as much dust as possible.

However, containing daddy’s little helper, proved more challenging. Carson insisted on helping.

That meant, I wasn’t much help with the demo because I was busy keeping a toddler occupied (his brother and sister were at friends) and Thomas only lasted so long…

We compromised and decided that with resale in mind, we would frame an opening standard size for a set of French doors to let in light, but allow for some privacy. That way, it could be used as an office.

It didn’t take long for things to look quite a bit like this.

But seeing it progress was worth every speck of dust.

I sure wish I had the skills to create one of those floorplan drawings, but I have yet to master that. (Add it to my ever growing to-do list.) Then you could see the layout and maybe make better sense of the light blocking addition and how much opening up that wall creates flow and lets the house breathe.

We still have tons of work to do. The drywall is up and has the first coat of “mud” on it and the light switches are in place, but I still have a couple days to determine light placement. (Yes the Mister is permitted to do the electrical work). I am so thankful that the hubs decided to invest in real estate 15 years ago. He has gained so much experience working on our rentals. So for him, this was surprisingly easy. (Disclaimer: Unless you or your hubby possess those skills these are definitely jobs I would leave to the pros.) We were 100% sure the wall was non-load bearing before we started. That is a whole different ball of wax and despite our combined DIY experience, even we wouldn’t attempt that one!

We still need to finish the drywall, prime, paint, replace the floor (where the closet left holes) and install v-groove paneling on the ceiling, similar to here, prime and paint that too. I still need to have the antique industrial lights I bought for a song rewired and figure out just how to hang them and whether or not I am painting them. I still haven’t worked out the floor plan exactly, but what I do know is that my gianormous table will be going into storage and we will be using this table instead. I also finally get to bring some cupboards out of storage and cannot wait to finally have them in the room.

I am so excited to finally have a real dining room. But the icing on the cake was having the hubby look at me after the dust settled, (when he wasn’t really sold on the idea) and say, “It was an excellent idea.”

Amanda’s Room So Far

2011-08-01T15:23:00.000-05:00

Howdy. Here it is August 1st already and I cannot believe summer is winding down to a close. It is right about a month until Labor Day and less than 5 months until Christmas and I still feel like it should be Spring. Where does the time go?

I sure wish I knew. It seems the older I get, the faster it goes and the less time I have to check things off my to-do list. My intention was to wrap this project up in a three day weekend. Didn’t happen. My revised time line was to finish it while my Amanda was away at softball this week. Again. Didn’t happen. I’ll spare ya another didn’t happen cause as you may have guessed, we still aren’t “done”. We did manage to make a bit more progress over the weekend and so before we get to the “here is where we are at on Amanda’s bedroom redo” part, I’ll take ya back to where we started.

When we first bought the house every room had worn, outdated carpet and very dark unhappy paint colors, that made the very small rooms feel like caves.

BEFORE:

During Phase One, we primed and painted all the walls, installed hardwood flooring, new doors, casings and baseboards. We were on tighter than tight budgets (time and money) and decided that finishing touches like crown moulding could wait until Phase Two (which would be a more fine tuning and finishing up details). Little by little, as time and money have allowed, we are working our way through the house. Starting with Amanda's room.

PHASE ONE: ~New Paint, Install Hardwood Flooring

And since she is 13 and feels more grown up, she has a very definite idea of how her room should look. That means we have been trying to bring her ideas to life, while at the same time, making those "finishing touches". Anyway, here is a little reminder of what we had picked for the room.

INSPIRATIONAL MOOD BOARD:

The first weekend, we emptied her room and had all the walls painted and this weekend we still needed to paint and hang the crown moulding, touch up wall the paint, paint her t.v. cabinet, load room, install headboard, hang pictures, and complete the final touches.

We managed to make it to load the room and that is where we left off and hope to finish this weekend. Since it’s already time for football and softball and DIY life with a toddler can get tricky sometimes, I think finishing may be wishful thinking, but I am trying to be optimistic. Overall I am happy with the progress. Amanda came home to find her room looking like this (cell phone) picture.

PHASE TWO – IN PROGRESS:

And while I envisioned finishing it and surprising her with a big dramatic reveal with flowers and candles and the whole nine yards, the party pooper also known as reality swooped in and dashed that dream. When I opened the door and showed her her new room, I was thrilled that she gave me an 8 out of 10. She politely explained that she couldn’t award me a 10 for an unfinished room. Tough crowd! The smile on her face made all of the hard work worth it. And the fact that she stayed in her room the entire day was further evidence of her approval.

So, as of right now we are still awaiting a finished headboard, and I am hopeful that we will have it very soon. We still need to frame and hang pictures/artwork and I have a feeling we will be adding to her collection.

Stay tuned for more slow but sure progress.

Don’t be shy. Leave me a comment. I love to hear thoughts, feedback and suggestions. Oh and of course, it would be great to hear that I am not the only one who consistently fails to complete projects in an very truncated time frame!

Amanda’s Room Mood Board (an attempt anyway)

2011-07-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

For those of you fabulous folks who really know how to show Photoshop who is boss, I envy you. In my last post I talked about how much effort I am putting into learning the tips and tricks. I wanted to create a mood board to give you an idea of the direction we are headed in the whirlwind weekend makeover. Whew, try saying that three times fast. What I discovered is that after Googling and after watching a couple of tutorials, I may well be able to get some pictures on a board, but I still have a lot to learn before they are where I want them.

I’m pretty excited at my first attempt. The next thing I would love to figure out is how to actually cut something out of a picture so that I could avoid those white boxes around things like pillows. Sort of makes them look a little strange and takes away from the complete room I’m after. Anyway, enough about all that and on to the details we are envisioning.

First, she has her heart set on orange walls. In an effort to avoid her seeing the color through her closed eyelids, like this orange.

She settled on a toned down orange and requested Copper Harbor. It is more of a terra cotta than a bright overpowering orange.

She compromised a little more and settled on one orange accent wall, which will be behind her headboard and should help avoid the whole eye trauma. Her bedroom is rather small, measuring only about 11 x 12 and I didn’t want it to look like the inside of a mini bag of Cheetos.

But I’m getting ahead of myself and suppose I should back up for a minute and show you where we started. First, she knew she wanted orange. We decided to add a dash of lime green. I though it would be young and happy. So, we started trolling ebay for some pillows that would give us the look we were after. And were successful bidders on these. Sorry I don’t have much specific information on them, but the middle one is from IKEA and the last one is Braemore Cartwheel fabric in Spring Green

We still hadn’t nailed down an entire plan when I happened upon these lampshades at World Market. I had initially planned to add maybe a bit of aqua, but once I scored those shades, I knew eggplant was just the color to make it all work.

A little more searching on World Market yielded these rugs for a song and so I added 2 to my cart faster than you can say deal.

And since there is so much pattern and color going on, we thought some feminine white bedding might be perfect. We settled on the Shabby Chic Smocked Duvet Set and can’t wait for the mailman to bring it.

I am totally going to copy cat a headboard for her room and have started ordering some vintage dance posters from etsy for a wonderfully eclectic gallery wall; something like one of these.

Now that I have it on “paper” the actual work needs to begin. She is counting the days until Friday when the makeover begins. I have many more projects in the works including painting a chandelier and DIYing that headboard. Oh and speaking of the chandy…did you realize you can go to an automotive store and they can put just about any paint color in a spray can? You know, just in case you are craving a little plum crazy.

**Unfortunately, I failed to keep track of the gallery wall inspiration photos. If you know to whom I should give credit, please let me know.

What I’m working on now

2011-07-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

Lazy days of summer are merely wishful thinking. It seems it has been impossibly hot for the last couple weeks. The weather over the last couple days though has been great. Perfect summer weather. We have actually been able to head out for bike rides and park outings without gallons of water.

I have still been trying hard to learn my camera. And my biggest nemesis Photoshop. A few months ago, I purchased this tutorial. It took me forever to even open it. Between time and intimidation, I was content to let both just sit for a while. It has been gnawing at me lately that I spent the money, I should at least give it a shot. I am so glad I did. Erin was able to teach me not only the basics of editing, but also how to use some basic tools. I am getting more and more comfortable by the day with both.

When I first opened Photoshop, I didn’t know a clone from a lasso and wondered what on earth an action was and how it could possibly help me. I am slowing making progress, but once I realized the time saver actions were, I couldn’t download them fast enough. I have been installing all the free ones I can get my hands on from here, here, and here. Those ladies are so talented.

So I will leave you with a few of my most recent edits.

I realize, I have a long way to go, but since I am blogging as a way of documenting my life, I wanted to be able to look back later and see my progress.

I would love to hear your feedback, tips and suggestions. I am open to learning as much as possible.

In house related news, I have been on a buying spree and planning frenzy. I am going to attempt to completely redo Amanda’s room next weekend. She initially wanted a French inspired room, but has now changed courses and is planning a room with a bohemian flair. This may be a bit outside my comfort zone, but then again, I really think I can embrace colors like eggplant, orange and lime green…maybe!

A dresser makeover

2011-06-30T05:45:00.001-05:00

I don’t know if I have ever mentioned just how much I would love to be Miss Mustard Seed when I grow up, but I do. She is creative and talented beyond words. I love that she answers my email and daily she provides the blogosphere with gorgeous eye candy and more than her fair share of inspiring makeovers.

This time though, I was actually inspired by Kristine's armoire makeover.

Photos Courtesy of The Painted Hive

Gorgeous right?? If you don’t know Kristine, you don’t want to miss her master bedroom redo. She gives detailed instructions on how to achieve this wonderful layered treatment.

For my piece, I was hoping to get a bit more of a black/navy blue in the end. While I still have a way to go before I make it through all pieces in this post, I did manage to finish one more.

Yep, frightening red paint on that curvy dresser just wasn’t working for me. The hardware had seen better days and with Kristine’s armoire in mind, I got to work. My dad was kind enough to sand it for me and so by the time it was my turn, I only had to work on the fun part. Paint.

Like I said, I was hoping for the same effect, but a darker color. I used Black paint as a base coat and applied a white wash (or gray wash in this case) using Steel Gray. I had a mix of vintage and new glass knobs and thought they would really pop against the new finish.

As you can see, I have this one in my booth. I snapped this picture while I was bringing some new items in. I still hadn’t even shut the drawers all the way and wouldn’t ya know I didn’t notice until now. The lighting in that mall is beyond bad and for some reason the drawers in the picture look like they are different colors. They aren’t.

Mr. K says this is his favorite piece so far and only wished we had a place for it. Me too.

He tried to talk me into keeping this Miss Mustard Seed Inspired Chair. I had picked it up for free too and simply painted it and used a couple old feed sacks and a drop cloth and while I was really happy with how it turned out, I just can’t seem to find a place for it.

Technorati Tags: Before and After,Antique Booth,Thrifted Finds,Salvaged Furniture,Paint projects

How about you…any projects inspired by Miss Mustard Seed, the queen of furniture makeovers? Or have a favorite blogger whose work inspires you to keep the project fires burning?

The little chair that could

2011-06-28T14:58:00.001-05:00

So like most of you, when summer is in full swing, days get busier, yet somehow get lazier too. And lately, I have not found motivation to stay inside and paint furniture. But like always, things come for me in bursts and this week, I have managed to get a few items crossed off my to-do list. Initially, this chair was to be painted and sold.

If you look closely at the pictures, you can see a giant crack running through the bottom….um…moving on. I had my dad glue and clamp it and in no time it was sturdy and good as new.

I decided this weekend that the time had come to give this chair a little makeover. I am in love with the shape of this chair. All curvy and cute. Not ornate, just feminine. One thing that had been holding me up was picking a color. Sometimes, it takes me a little while to pick a color. But once it hits, I find I have to do it right now.

I decided to go with an acrylic craft paint like I often do. I really like the way it works and I usually don’t even use primer. It is available in a wide variety of colors, you can buy a small quantity and it is pretty inexpensive. This time, I was looking for a bluish gray that was darker than the usual choice. Blue really is my favorite color and a good old dusty blue gray is perfection for me. Here is a close up of the color and distressed detailing. This picture seems to have the truest color. I went with Pewter Gray which ended up exactly as I had hoped.

I applied one coat of paint and once it was dry I gave it a coat of wax. I didn’t plan on the distressing, but the more I looked at it, the more I thought it needed a little more. So, I roughed it up around the edges and I liked it a lot better.

And now that I’ve painted it and distressed it to my liking, I don’t think I can part with it. The color is perfection to me and I just have to find a place for it. I kind of like where it is at, but I have to move it every time I open the armoire doors and yes that is the same one I keep talking about painting. I am so wishy-washy about a color that I hope one of these days, I can make up my mind and just get to work making it prettier.

I also managed to restock my booth this weekend, which required a trip to my dad’s to pick up a dresser I had recently painted. My dad has this idea that he needs to burn things instead of taking them to a landfill. I think he just likes to have a big fire going, but I suppose whatever floats his boat. I don’t try to change him, sometimes, I just ignore him in the most loving way. But when I gave that burn pile the once over, just on the edge, sat the most awesome galvanized crate. I pulled it from the pile and gave my dad a good tongue lashing about never throwing away anything he perceives as junk without my consent.

Of course, it was more of a request and I’m only kidding about the tongue lashing, but I did remind him that I love all things old, chippy, and rusty. His story was that it was on the “edge” of the pile for a reason. Uh-huh. We aren’t even going to discuss what I saved from that pile yesterday. He has been warned….again. I don’t know what he has been thinking, my dad should be on an episode of hoarders for as much as he “collects”.

Considering I was able to save the crate and the other goodies (to be revealed at a later date) I will forgive him this once because he is usually right on board with Sanford and ~~Son~~ Daughter and finds truck loads of great junk.

I love how my new crate fits on top of the coffee table and even more, I love that I can stash couple of stacks of books and magazines in there. Before I go, here is one more before and after of the little chair that could. This was just the jump start I needed to get some more projects done and hopefully, I will be a good blogger and show you some more eye candy very soon.

Quilts and More Quilts

2011-06-13T13:12:00.000-05:00

Remember this post when I found a quilt that I knew would spark a collection. Well, I’ve since added about 4 more to my stash. I love the colors and textures and the instant history and character that they can add to a room. I also love how lightweight they are and we use them everyday.

Remember I had purchased one Grandmothers Flower Garden Quilt at the last auction and I “planned” to stick to that pattern. Well that is until I saw this blue stunner. It is more of a turquoise blue than the picture shows, but these are the auctioneers pictures that I borrowed.

I believe it is a pinwheel quilt pattern, but again, if you have more information for me here, please do share.

This particular auction had quite a selection of good condition quilts and I wish I would have had a much larger budget that day, but still managed to stay under $100 for the two I purchased.

Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of the treasure trove available. Keep in mind, some quilts were stacked.

I believe the highest bid fro the day on the quilts was $65. I bid on others, but I was so determined to stay on budget and come home with the blue one and the Grandmothers Flower Garden Quilt that I had to let the red one go and another one, not pictured that I would have loved to call my own.

I had plans to set up at a great flea market this month and have been working my fingers to the bone trying to get ready, but unfortunately, it just isn’t going to work out. I have set my sights on July and pray that my family can bear with me that long. We have laundry and dust bunnies galore and so far they have been patient. Brandon was removing staples from upholstery and helping me paint signs yesterday and Amanda has been busy making her own projects and helping me wash vintage linens and aprons.

With all those projects to keep us busy, we are still trying to find time to enjoy summer by swimming and heading out for bike rides.

I would love to know what projects are keeping you busy this summer, what fun activities you have planned for your family and of course, if you have any more information on the quilt patterns, I would love to know.

Yet Another Collection

2011-05-31T14:50:00.000-05:00

Hello friends. I sure hope you enjoyed the summer kick off, also known as Memorial Day. Mine was spent painting furniture. I was hoping to get outside and enjoy the sunshine, but with temperatures in the 90’s and high humidity, I was kept inside where I was busy getting some projects done. I have committed myself to my very first flea market booth this month and I am frantically trying to cross the furniture finish-ed line! Despite my many projects, I still found time to squeeze in an auction on Saturday. I happened to find one close by and since the pictures showed some old quilts, I thought I’d stop by.

I was so glad that I did because I was able to scoop this baby up for a mere $20.

Picture courtesy Rosenboom Realty

I love this quilt and after much Googling, I discovered the name of this particular pattern is Grandmother’s Flower Quilt (or other similar variation of). I have made a few baby quilts in my past, but they were simple square quilts. Very easy for me. I wasn’t surprised after all my research on this pattern just how much work this type of quilt takes. There are even blogs devoted solely to starting, progress and completion of this type of quilt. They can be simple color combinations or bolder brighter color combinations. There are a couple different ways to go about creating one, both of which require a great deal of time and hand piecing. But the end result is so worth it.

I would love to find the time to be able to sit down and create such a masterpiece. Maybe if I start now, I can have one ready for my grandchildren. Who knows. What I do know is that I have always been drawn to quilts. The artistry, the history, the simple beauty of knowing that someone lovingly worked to mix colors and fabrics into such a beautiful work of art for the purpose of keeping their families warm. I have purchased quilts over the years, always for low prices, often because they have damage. Which, much like anything else I collect, doesn’t seem to bother me much. This quilt really spoke to me and I found myself trolling ebay this morning searching for other available quilts made in this gorgeous pattern. So, it is inevitable that I will search a little harder for Grandmother’s Flower Quilts and it will lead me where it always does, to acquiring yet another collection.

I’m dying to know what you are collecting? What items just makes you ga-ga? Oh and if you have any information or instructions for this quilt pattern, don’t hesitate to leave me a comment. I really may have to attempt one of my own over the winter and I could start looking for fabrics now!

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T04:00:00.004-05:00

Words cannot express the gratitude I feel for the men and women who are brave enough to defend the United States of America, so that we can enjoy freedom.

Thank you and May God Bless You!

Graduation

2011-05-30T04:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, when you least expect it, someone gives you that little nudge. You know the one, when you are learning a new hobby or skill and you are seriously doubting yourself, thinking, I’m never going to learn or I’m never going to get it. I think we’ve all been there. Let’s face it, when we are just starting out, most of us feel unsure.

We struggle with those first seeds of confidence when we chart unfamiliar waters. I think as women it can be even more difficult. Sometimes, we set unrealistic goals for ourselves, not realizing we may even be setting ourselves up to fail. I read a post that really spoke to me a couple months ago and recently went back to give it a read. The wisdom of Nester really spoke volumes to me.

How many times do we stop ourselves from stepping out of our comfort zone? How many times do we find something we really like to do and yet, set up tiny roadblocks to sabotage ourselves in order to prevent failure? I’m sure we can all relate to that feeling at some point. For me, it is taking pictures. I have always loved taking them of my kiddos. I genuinely enjoy it. My kids and their friends even tease me about how much I have a camera in their faces. It is certainly not something I am considering pursuing as a career. The thing is, I used to make excuses for not buying a better camera. Not now. Not enough money. I should take a class first. I wouldn’t know how to use it, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. You get the picture.

Anyway, with new camera came an opportunity to either not use my camera to its full potential, or step out of my comfort zone and try something new. That new being taking pictures in manual mode. Honestly, it still intimidates me, but I’m trying. I even think I’ve made some progress. That’s not to say that the little exposure triangle doesn’t make me want to pull my hair out, but the point is I’m trying and isn’t that what it’s all about. Not necessarily about how many times we succeed, but that we still keep trying. After all, some of the most famous successes, actually attribute their success to their failures.

I can’t tell you how many pictures I have taken that have been overexposed, underexposed, blurry, and just plain bad. But what I can tell you is that sometimes, just having a couple out of 100 that turn out makes my day. And that is what leads me here. Recently my friend had a request. She was desperately trying to save some money on her son’s senior pictures and graduation announcements. She politely asked me if I would be willing to take on the pictures for a small fee. Of course, I was honored, but at first balked at the idea because I was certain that was beyond my ability. However, with a little coaxing from her and the family, I decided to give it a shot.

I was so nervous that at first I was sure I was going to drop my camera because of my sweaty palms. Thankfully, both of his parents came along for moral support, although, I’m guessing it was meant for him more than me.

In the end, I was pleased that I was able to give her about 80 pictures to choose from. I ended up with 400 and whittled it down to my faves and while I’m not going to share them all, I have a few that I’m pretty proud of.

Now I know I’m not a pro. Nor am I trying to be. I also know that a little Photoshop training for me would go a looooong way. For now, I’m keeping it simple with Picasa and it seemed to give my pictures the boost they needed.

So ya see, even though I would say I have a long way to go and have so much to learn, I stepped out of my comfort zone, tried something new and ya know what, I actually had a blast. I learned a thing or two and helped a friend save some cash. And she’s gonna need it too. She will be making a trip this summer to California to watch this young man graduate boot camp as a United States Marine. She couldn’t be more proud.

Now how’s that for stepping out of your comfort zone. He is traveling thousands of miles to a very unfamiliar place to do a very brave thing. He taught me a lot that day. Thank you Clay! And a special thank you to his mama Mary for believing in me. Such an incredible family and I am blessed to know them.

A Dance Recital, a Dresser and a Peek

2011-05-16T16:45:00.000-05:00

Hello, my name is Ginger and I frequently get so caught up in real-life mom duties that I neglect the fun world of blogging. Not to say you are not real, but this blog world is so much less demanding for me.

Last week the in-laws were visiting from Texas and wouldn’t ya know it, they took advantage of a great deal on airfare that delivered them to Illinois right smack dab in the middle of the craziest weekend in the world. That’s dance recital weekend. It is by far, the busiest weekend of the year for us. We have set-up, dress rehearsal and then the full recital. So it starts on Friday and ends late Sunday afternoon.

Is it worth it? Absolutely! And this little lady rocked the stage like no other 13 year old I know. Well that’s not entirely true, all the girls and boys did an amazing job. I’m just a little biased and impressed that she memorized 9 dances and spent countless hours on that stage this weekend.

She also endured 5 costume changes. The pointe outfit was my F-A-V-O-R-I-T-E! I can't believe she is only 13. She looks so grown up.

I am happy to say, it went off without a hitch and it was amazing and wonderful to watch her dance. She is on year number nine and counting. I’m such a proud mama. So proud that I took about 1,000 pictures of her and her friends. See, I’ve been busy.

But, I am back and ready to actually give you a look at that dresser I bought at the auction from hell. Which, by the way, I am trying to erase from my memory bank. I am still kicking myself for not getting those model planes. Live and learn. What that actually means is, if you love it that much, buy it on the spot, no matter what! But I'm losing focus and I am supposed to be talking about the dresser. I was finally able to pick it up, on the way to my booth. Don't worry though, luckily, I had my camera with me and was able to snap a few pictures to share. Now keep in mind, I still had to fluff the place up, but since it was Mother’s Daym I was chompin at the bit to get out of there. I took the pictures as we brought it in (so I wouldn’t forget).

So there she is. Isn’t she divine. I just love love love the buttery yellow color. Secretly, I am hoping she doesn’t sell and I can find a spot to justify keeping her. 'Cause after I picked her up I got to thinking she was worth the money I spent and I felt a little better about her price tag. I’m even actually thinking she might have been a steal.

Seriously, who couldn’t build a room around this? Imagine all the combinations. It would work in a modern gray room or in a farmhouse room with a quilt. And those knobs, I feel like Stacy London when the makeover candidate comes out all gussied up and just want to shout, shut up! They are just that pretty! This little dresser with those knobs – match made in furniture heaven. How about another look-see? This picture actually seems to be the closest color match to real life (gotta love barely lit by florescent light bulb spaces when ya want to get a picture).

Alright, I promise that’s the last picture of those sexy glass knobs and I will now share pictures of my oh-so-messy booth as we were unloading more and more items.

I had so many things on the truck, I was wondering if I would even have enough room in my little space. I even brought the curvy little end table I recently made over, as well as an old wooden folding chair I painted and waxed. I have so many of those chairs it is actually quite ridiculous. Let me interject here, that our garage is bursting at the seams and the hubs is starting to get a little crabby about my ~~hoarding~~ using the garage as a holding area. I have plans to take the plunge and take my show on the road to a flea market next month. Cross your fingers with me that I can work it out.

That planter is another one of those things, I will be sad to see go. I painted those pots with chalkboard paint and simply plopped some fake geraniums inside to give customers an idea of just how pretty it would look with some flowers.

Holy cow, the more I look at those pictures, I’m actually a bit embarrassed that I’m actually showing it to you that way. It looked much prettier when I left, I promise.

So tell me what have you been up to lately while I've been away enjoying the kiddos? And let me know what you think of that dresser? I paid 80 bucks...steal or no deal?

Sofa Table Makeover and a Flower Question

2011-05-04T16:28:00.000-05:00

Spring seems to be springing more and more each day. Which of course, reignites my creative fire and brings renewed energy. Either that, or my boot camp is working. It is having lots of positive effects on me, including the reminder that I do need to take time out of my busy life for me.

And while I am talking about energy and taking time for me, I guess this is as good of a time as any to share another recent furniture makeover.

I have had the itch to make-over a sofa table that I’ve had for almost a decade. It was custom made at the same time as the armoire in the living room. Stained with the same ugly orange-y stain too. I loved the clean simple shape of this piece just can’t live with the ugly color anymore. It was a piece that I couldn’t easily replace for the price, especially for a custom piece. I found a table in a catalog that was wa-ay over my budget and the father of a friend who didn’t charge me a penny for labor. So for $50, I had my own version of the much pricier catalog version.

Despite the simple lines and cheap price, the color was just not doing it for me. It was sticking out like a sore thumb.

This is what it looked like before. And yes, my toddler gets into EVERY picture and EVERY container of paint he can get his little paws on. I literally left the room to get my camera and he hoisted himself up using that little ledge and out of sheer determination he snatched that paint bottle. No worries, I wrestled it from him before he was able to do any damage, like paint the floor or worse yet, eat the paint. You see that el cheapo paint brush on the table top. That is his brush and he “paints” with it, just like mommy. At least that is what he thinks and for now, he can think it. I think painting is in his genes. (Note: Mismatched pajamas are courtesy of his dad, in case you were wondering.)

I started out unsure just what I was going to do to this piece. I moved it to the entryway (where this bench used to be) in hopes that if I looked at it long enough, inspiration would strike. It took a while, but I finally found inspiration in the form of these gorgeous bin pulls I found on ebay with 21 other pulls for the bargain price of $16, including shipping. They came distressed and complete with a wonderful old blue chippy paint.

For some reason, this picture makes the table look dirty. It does have lots of scratches and gouges that I didn’t bother sanding. I wanted it to look a little rough around the edges. Not too surprising, I went with classic white paint. I didn’t want to detract from the hardware, which is why I also chose not to distress the paint. I really wanted the pulls to be the stars here.

I love that old blue crate sitting on the ledge. I secretly stash small items that I need on the go in there, like baby Converse or baby wipes. I pulled out an old ironstone pitcher and clipped some branches from a tree and literally just stuffed them inside. The old maps sitting there are waiting for me to find some more time to make a couple of frames.

These flowers came from a tree that happens to hang over a nearby fence. Unfortunately, I have no idea what they are. I was sort of hoping one of you, my dear friends, could help me out with that (hint hint…Janet).

I would love to plant one of my own. So gorgeous and Springy. So there you have it, another furniture makeover. Total cost $1.40, since the hardware worked out to about 69 cents each and I already had the paint on hand. I just love those high impact, low cost changes.

What about you, what have you transformed lately for super-cheap? And somebody please tell me you know the name of that flowering tree!

Technorati Tags: before and After,paint projects,living room

Redemption

2011-05-02T09:53:00.000-05:00

If you remember my last trip down auction lane, you will recall it was a bust. I have still not picked up my dresser, but that is just a small detail. I was still licking my wounds from the last auction and almost didn’t go to yesterday’s auction. Luckily, I asked my dear friend weeks ago to go with me and she reminded me not to let one bad apple spoil the bunch. Wise friend. I think she is my good luck charm, because every time she goes, I seem to get more items on my list.

And while I didn’t get everything on my list this time, I came home with one thing I went for. But, since I love to save the best for last, I figured, I would start with some of the things, I didn’t bring home. This particular auction was from the estate of a doctor who had actually died many years ago. The family finally cleaned out the house, which has been vacant for years.

All photos are courtesy of the auctioneer. They have a great website with lots of pictures, so you have a good idea what will come up on auction. This bed was absolutely beautiful. There were family members of the doctor there who were bidding and luckily, they won this heirloom piece.

This great gateleg table went for $135 which was a bit more than I expected it to bring, but then again, who can predict going price when family is there to bid on sentimental value. There were stunning dressers, china cabinets and much more. A little something for everyone.

The prices did seem to vary throughout the day. The above buffet went for only $40 while the china cabinet went for $385. Both were gorgeous pieces, but I had my eye on the prizes…or prize as it turned out.

The next two items up for bidding were items I really really wanted to bring home. But, in general, I have an I-will-not-bid-against-family-policy. Something about it seems so wrong to me. While I may be a ruthless bidder the rest of the time, I just can’t bring myself to bid against someone who is trying to bring home a piece of their history.

Although, I made one exception this time, and that is where my dear friend came in. I first introduced her to auctions a couple years ago and she almost backed out of the first one, claimed it wasn’t her thing. Well guess what, give that girl a number now and she will not be stopped. We even have a system worked out. I bid on items she wants and she bids on items I want. We decide on the max bid and once that number is determined, the other simply leaves the ring when the item comes up for bid.

After my initial walk-through, I found two items to add to my list. This wonderfully chippy old dresser.

And the most comfortable and unique wing back I had ever come across. I figured it would go for pennies, since upholstered furniture seems to in our area, but I was disappointed when the granddaughter of the doctor told me she had her heart set on it. I mean how could I bid against that?

I was really hoping to bring that baby home and after watching Miss Mustard Seed's Slipcover Tutorial, I was ready to give it a whirl, but that will have to wait until I can find another chair.

As I mentioned, I was determined to bring these cabinets home. Remember, the estate belonged to a doctor in the 1940’s. I believe these once held apothecary jars and other supplies. I was determined to nab them both. I decided my max bid and considered knocking down any and all competition if it came to that! Seriously though, all threats aside, I was anxious and nervous all day worried I wouldn’t win either. The last auction still fresh in my mind. So, after giving her the magic number, I walked completely out of the building, only to return as the bidding ended on the first go round, realizing that I was not the winner. I almost cried. The gentleman who did win, only wanted one cabinet. So bidding started again and I waited at the back of the crowd and couldn’t even look at my friend. If she is anything, she is determined and she won with the highest bid and even made the call to hubby to fetch it.

My story to him was that I was purchasing it for resale. And as he was loading it on the truck with help from a friendly man, he was informed by said friendly man that the buyer of the other cabinet was simply reselling it for three and a half times more than I paid for it and would easily get it. Score one for me because then dear old hubby was pumped, he believed I was a genius and a bargain hunter. Not that he said exactly that, but I took the smile on his face as approval.

I think I’ve had ya in suspense long enough, so without further ado, here is my prize. Well the one on the right anyway.

You can barely see in the picture that one piece is cracked and there is glass missing. Handy hubby told me I was right, it is an easy fix and it will be good as new. Now there is just one problem. I don’t want to sell it, like as in kicking-screaming-and-and-stomping-my-feet, don’t want to sell it. I haven’t broken the news to him yet, but I think I’m going to have to do that soon. I mean seriously, would you part with it?

I’m dreaming of a cozy outdoor room

2011-05-02T09:45:00.000-05:00

Spring is supposed to be in the air, but I think Mother Nature failed to get the memo. While we are definitely getting our fill of April showers, the temperature is not always in line with my idea of Spring.

I do, however, keep finding myself dreaming of the projects I would love to complete in the backyard this year. And while time and budget are never agreeable, I have decided to look for inspiration and dream away this rainy afternoon.

Tales from the Auction

2011-04-26T15:54:00.001-05:00

Bright and early Saturday morning, I loaded up the truck with the the hubby and 3 of the 4 kiddos and we headed to an auction. This one looked to be promising with lots of antiques and “junk”. We drove 45 minutes and felt lucky because it was easy to find. We piled out with the toddler in tow and took the first quick-glance look around. I typically do this and then go back around to take a closer look, inspect the item’s condition, and make a list of what my priorities are and determine my maximum bid. That way, I am not bidding on an impulse only to regret it later.

Of course, in the hurry to get everyone out of the house on time, I managed to forget my camera, but I did manage to snap a few photos with my trusty old camera phone. I would love to tell you that it was a fun family day and I came home with lots of treasures, but I wouldn’t be keeping it real. (More on that in a bit)

On the surface, there were great items to choose from and after that quick go round, I made my list, checked it twice and took the kids across the street for donuts and hot chocolate at the local Men’s Club. Once they had their bellies full of all sorts of sugary goodness, we headed back over just in time for the bidding to begin. And here is where things take a turn.

You see, this was a huge auction. The lovely couple who owned this lot had lived in their home for over 30 years and had amassed quite a collection of “stuff”. In fact, the rows of tables took up an entire city block.

And the family had graciously volunteered their services to the auctioneer, I assume to cut a better deal in the end. Now, I’m not knocking the family, I’m just saying that I don’t think they realized how long it would take if they sold each and every item individually. But that is exactly what they insisted on doing. It took over an hour to get through one table and I should have taken it as a sign, but I was determined to be patient and win some of those items on my list.

I should note here that of course, the furniture looked great on the website, but in person, it had seen better days. So, I was able to quickly decide that some of the pieces I originally made the trip for were not going on my list. But I was madly in love with this Victorian cabinet sitting against the wall in this photo and despite some damage, I kept it on my list as a contender if it were to go for a reasonable price.

Which didn’t happen. It went for over $200. I know it is a great piece, but I couldn’t justify that when I have a similar one at home that was undamaged and I spent about $100 bucks on it.

I should stop here, because I’m getting ahead of myself. You see, we managed to make it down one side of the street in only 4 short hours (said in the most sarcastic tone). Yep, I stood on my feet in the crappiest shoes ever for over 4 hours and we weren’t even halfway through. I did manage to acquire a dresser, but went over my own limit, despite my usual disciplined self. I was determined not to walk away empty handed and it got the best of me. And I am going to disappoint you since I don’t even have a picture of that dresser because I don’t have it in my possession right now. (More on that later too.)

Here are a few pictures with the winning bid to give you an idea of just how high the prices were that day. Now to some of you, they may seem reasonable, but in all my history of auctions (which is quite a few) these prices were much higher than is typical in our area.

This gorgeous cast iron bed went for only $75, which was the deal of the day. I’m still kicking myself for not buying this beauty.

This cabinet is much smaller than it appears in the picture. It was only about 3 feet tall and maybe 20 inches wide, but it went for $185.

This china cabinet had significant damage and still managed to bring a sales price of $365.

This cute enamel top table was still reasonable at $45, but when I have bought two just like it for around $5 a piece, it seemed steep to me.

These gorgeous pieces weren’t too bad. One of the lightning rods (without the glass globe) went for $25, the other (with the globe) went for $75. (Kicking myself for that too) The weathervane sold for $275, which wasn’t shocking for such a great piece. The obelisk went for $95. Which for such great folk art pieces, were pretty reasonable prices.

These maple syrup buckets were falling apart and each time they put one up for bid, they had to piece it back together, the prices ranged from $45-$95. I don’t know much about these, but I couldn’t justify that much money for something that is falling apart.

LOVED these airplane whirly-gigs and had every intention of bringing them home to use in Carson’s room. But, they were on the far side of the street and after 6 hours, they still weren’t even close to them. So I was ready to leave without them!

Same with this table. I would have loved to bring it home. It was square and despite the carpet stapled to the top, I knew it had lots of potential.

This minnow bucket went for $26, which surprised me since they don’t usually cost that much at an antique store.

But I did manage to snag some hardware for the bargain price of $27. Well initially it was $37, but the gentleman next to me offered me $10 for everything I didn’t want, since my winning lot included everything on the table. By then, I think they were attempting to speed things up, but it didn’t last. I was so excited. Once I got home and got a look, there were over 30 glass knobs. The real deal, old heavy glass. I felt like I stole them.

At the end of the day, when my legs were aching for standing for so long (remember I sit in an office most days), I was starving and my little men were actually sick of the park, we packed up the truck and we were ready to go. That’s when the day took a turn for the worst. The truck wouldn’t start. Can you believe that 45 minutes from home and our truck would not start? My attempt at calling roadside assistance meant waiting longer than it would take for someone to come get us, and since we wouldn’t all fit in a tow truck anyway, we ended up calling my father-in-law to get my SUV and save us. In the meantime, my ex (the 3 oldest kids’ dad) happened to be on his way home from a neighboring state and he stopped along the side of the road in a semi to pick up my dresser and haul it to his shop. (Since the weatherman was calling for rain). I barely made it home in time to get ready for the Easter vigil at church and by the time I finally got home, I had been gone for 16 hours and the hubs had made another trip to fix the truck. He never once complained either. I love that man. Let me tell you, it was a long, trying day and I’m glad it is behind us.

Let me tell ya, if that had been my first experience at an auction, I would never go back. But I love them and there is another coming up this weekend. It’s closer to home and I have my fingers crossed that I will find some goodies at better prices. And as soon as I can get in the shop and fetch my dresser, I will share some pictures.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who has days like that. Today, as I type this I can look back and laugh at how stressed we were, but trust me, that day, we weren’t laughing. Anyone else love auctions as much as me? Do you have a strategy for buying or do you just bid on a whim? I would love to hear all about it.

Curvy Little End Table

2011-04-21T14:31:00.001-05:00

You may remember this post where I shared pictures of all the free furniture that my pappy rescued for me.

Well, that adorable little end table pictured above finally got a much needed makeover. It looked like he found it in Transylvania. I was hoping to take it closer to France.

I borrowed some tips from Miss Mustard Seed and tried one her recommended waxes. Not surprisingly, she really knows what she is talking about. I’ll be honest, I was intimidated and scared to give it a whirl, but figured what could it hurt. Well, I’m hooked.

I really loved the doors on this piece. I just gave them a dry brush coat to freshen them up a bit. I used Sherwin Williams Magnetic Gray. This is one of my absolute favorite colors.

Love those little curves. I love even more that it has two display spaces. I used the original hardware, since I thought it looked adorable.

It felt so good to get back to painting furniture. It is so therapeutic for me. Just gliding a brush along the wood and transforming it from an ugly duckling to a swan.

This one is off to the booth to find a wonderful home. Can’t wait to see what you guys think. Now that Spring is around the corner peeking out at us, do you have any paint projects awaiting a new lease on life?

Thank Yous and Crown Molding

2011-04-11T11:36:00.001-05:00

First, I wanted to say thanks to these lovely ladies Leigh of Tales From Bloggeritaville, Melanie of My Sweet Savannah and Kate of Centsational Girl and who shared Wine Barrel Sunburst Mirror. It was a thrill to see my mirror hanging around those blogs with those talented bloggers. So, thank you ladies!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend. The weather was perfect. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and another round of Spring cleaning was underway. We spent quite a bit of time outside and the littlest member of the house discovered the garden hose and felt it was his duty to help his older brother wash his bike. Priceless. Oh please ignore the backyard it needs a LOT of work, but hopefully, we can get some of that accomplished this summer.

After the water break, we decided to get to work on a project that has been haunting us since last summer. It required that we break out the big guns.

Ok, well maybe not the big guns, but power tools for sure. I know this is big fun to some, but since Mr. K uses them all week and weekend at work and on the never-ending-projects on our rental properties, sometimes, he drags them out begrudgingly and even grumbles a bit, but in the end, he’s always happy ~~I made him do it~~ he did it. I tell him he will be so much more relaxed if he doesn’t have to look at so many unfinished projects. This results in the I’m not buying it glare. Don’t get me wrong, he loves to work on our house, but when you do it 50+ hours a week, maybe it gets old.

But, since he was also tired of staring at insulation peeking out from the ceiling for almost a year, I decided to take advantage of his willingness to work and we decided it was high time to Git R Done. Not to mention his mom and sister are visiting from Texas next month, so we really want to get some of those small projects done. And yes, I am totally using that to my advantage!

See, pretty yucky stuff and not to relaxing to look at during those long luxurious soaks in the bubble bath. Yep, I’m laughing at my own fantasy. Anyway, back to the progress.

Crown molding is something I would NEVER attempt on my own and I seriously stress NEVER. I know some DIYers try it and even have some good luck, but it intimidates the heck out of me. And despite the fact that the hubs has done it many times, he was a little rusty and it took a bit of head scratching before it all came back to him.

But I’m sure you will agree, this is so much better. I love crown molding. I love the finished look. It makes me so happy. It’s already been caulked and is simply waiting to be painted. I only have a couple more tweaks for the bathroom and I think I might actually call it…done? Well maybe not done, but at least presentable.

I actually made up my mind about a rug last week too. If all goes well, I should be getting a wonderful package this week and hopefully be able to share pictures soon. Can’t wait to see what you think!

Anybody else out there tried to install crown molding? Was it a success or an epic fail?

I'm seeing stripes!

2011-04-07T16:50:00.001-05:00

I’m sure you can relate. I have a problem, one I’m going to remind you, you will understand. It’s that I spend an inordinate amount of time searching and searching for rugs. I have a hard time finding a rug that I love in my budget. A large, good quality rug can be EXPENSIVE. And I am frugal. Lately, I have been trying oh so hard to get our house feeling more homey. We moved in almost 3 years ago and despite my best efforts, it seems that a more finished feeling house seems to elude me.

I decided one day to take a good look around and decide what it is I feel is missing the most. It didn’t take long to decide that rugs and art work were two areas that most needed to be addressed. The only two rooms in the house that had a rug were the living room and the nursery (which you have not yet seen). Those two rooms, despite still needing other things, seemed to feel the most comfortable and welcoming. Not only that, I realized that wood floors are warmer and somehow seem to be less dusty when there are rugs in the room.

I have been searching and searching for affordable options and surprisingly, I have found a few that have caught my eye. It seems like I have a major love for striped rugs. I keep trying to step out of that box, but I just keep coming back. So, I thought I would share a few of my favorites with you today.

There are two that I am seriously considering for my bedroom and both are priced under $200 for about an 8X10.

First this blue and white beauty from Williams Sonoma. I love this rug and since I have always had blue in my bedroom, I figure it would have staying power. Let’s face it, blue can be combined with any color and I would still love it.

The next on is the Pottery Barn Bistro Stripe rug. It would also be under $200 and fits in with my never ending infatuation with the color blue.

Again, here I go with the blue and white striped rug, but this is an indoor outdoor rug that can be simply hosed off and this one is under $150 including shipping because it comes from the big O, otherwise known as Overstock and since shipping is free right now, it is a real bargain. Perhaps I should buy it for the patio???

I can’t even get started on artwork, I think I would go blind from staring at the computer so much!

Do you have a great source for good quality area rugs on a budget?? I would love a trip to IKEA, but the closest one is more than 2 hours away! Although, after seeing the pillows in this post, I may have to make the long trek…kids in tow!

Sunburst Wine Barrel Mirror

2011-03-29T10:21:00.001-05:00

First of all, today as I type this, I am beat. On top of my already full schedule, I decided to add a Boot Camp Class three times a week. Last night was class numero uno and I am sore and tired, but I had a blast and can’t wait to make it through the first month stronger and healthier. So wish me luck on that one. My goal is to make it through the first month and not miss one class. Tomorrow’s class is at 5:30 a..m. Yikes.

But I bet that’s not what you came here for today, to hear about me getting my work outs in. No I hope you came here to see the reveal of my mirrors. I have to say that by far these have been my favorite project. They have not been without some trial and error, but I’m loving the end result.

We started with an old weathered wine barrel that I had sitting in the shed. I bought it several years ago, not knowing at the time what I would end up using it for, but it was cheap at only $5 and I loved the patina of the wood. The first thing was to separate it and figure out how we would make it work.

As you can see, we ended up with a good size pile of the boards. The width of the boards varied and I kind of liked that look. The first thing we did was cut each board in half. I did this for two reasons, first, they were way too long and secondly, they tapered at each end and to get the look I wanted, I needed them to just be skinnier on one end. (that might make more sense in the later pictures)

After cutting each board in half, I laid out the first set of boards and used epoxy to adhere the first set of boards around the front of the mirror, gluing them directly to the mirror. I didn’t really measure, I just eye-balled it to get the look I wanted. We had to cut the last board to fit.

Once the front boards had been attached I liked it, but did not love it. After some thought, we decided to cut the extra boards in half lengthwise to make skinnier pieces to fill in between each of the front boards. We attached those to the back with the same epoxy. Oh and I almost forgot, I used frog tape to keep them straight and drinking glasses filed with beans and set them on the boards to hold them until the glue dried. This time though, we measured three inches from the end and used that line to line it up with the back of the mirror, so that we could keep the same distance around. When I flipped the mirror over to glue the back boards in place, I set the mirror on tope of a paint can to keep pressure off the front boards because the sort of bow out in the front. I hope this is all making sense because for the life of me, I cannot find the pictures I took of each step.

Once all of the epoxy had fully cured, I got the bright idea to use Disc Hangers so I could easily hang them on the wall. Little did I know, you can’t use them on mirrors. I did not see that little nugget of information on the package, but I attempted it and one stuck, but the other didn’t. I went to the website for more instructions to see if I had done something wrong. And, in fact, I had, I tried to attach them to mirror. So instead, we simply screwed to tiny screws into a board on each side of the mirror, connected them with wire and with that we were done.

Here they are, hung up in their new home and I couldn’t be happier. I should warn you, I am proud of these and you are about to be hit with picture overload!

The gorgeous corbels above were purchased from this awesome blogger. She might have a few more, so hit here up if you’re interested. They are huge and chippy and old and gorgeous. I have other plans for them, but for now, I love them where they are.

The ONLY complaint I have is that I have not yet had time to get my armoire painted and I really really hate the orangey color in these pictures. Oh how I need like 5 more hours in a day.

I would love to hear what you think of our handiwork. I love them and get this, the entire project cost less than $25, including the glue. How’s that for a bargain?

Project Wine Barrel Mirror sneak peek

2011-03-23T14:01:00.003-05:00

I’m just poppin in to give you a sneak peek. Wanna know what you get when you take one of these

take it apart

and add the pieces to one of these….

Well, it starts to look like this…

Rosemary Topiary

2011-03-21T11:57:00.002-05:00

Anyone else love these as much as me??

Images via Pottery Barn

What I don’t love? The price. I was hoping I could find a way to make my own for much much cheaper. And not to my surprise, after a quick Google search, I came across instructions here and here for how to make your own.

Since we are all suffering from some serious cabin fever, I figured this would be just the project to give me that hands-in-the-dirt-feeling I am craving and I headed to Lowe's to pick up two Rosemary plants. I transplanted them into two old clay pots that I already had.

I love them and they haven’t even grown yet. I love the color at the kitchen window and the smell, Yummo! I’m hoping with time and patience, I can achieve my Rosemary topiaries for $6 versus $49. Wish me luck.

Has anyone else tried this? If so, I would love to see and hear about it.

Salvaged Wood Turned Picture Frames

2011-03-17T11:50:00.002-05:00

Remember this post? You know the one where I sort of bragged about all the free furniture my dad scooped up for me? And I promised at the end to be back soon to show you exactly how we used that gorgeous wood at the bottom of that post.

Well, I’m finally back. I tend to get too many irons in the fire. I start a lot of projects, have many unfinished and then sometimes, I start even more. I start out with the best intentions. Really, I do. I just get sidetracked so easily. I’ve learned to accept myself that way and luckily so has Mr. K. He just looks at me. Sometimes, he even rolls his eyes. Even when he can’t get in his garage because of my projects.

So when I told him I was starting yet another project, I think I might have been pushing it. Luckily, this project would start at my dad’s and work it’s way back home! I just left that part out and only mentioned my dad’s part of the project. I had in my head a rough idea of what I wanted. When me and my dad get together, you really never know what you are going to end up with. I have a vision, I attempt to translate it to him, we argue, he creates a masterpiece and I’m happy! We have this weird way of communicating. Mr. K never gets it. He thinks we are fighting. We’re not. My dad is just exceptionally talented and when it comes time to describe what I want, I try to give him too much useless information. I just tend to over-clarify things sometimes. Call me OCD. Overly Clarifying Daughter!

Anywhoo…the project I had in mind involved all this salvaged wood I had picked up from a neighbor as he was tearing off his old porch. I’m not to proud, I asked him for it, he looked at me like I was crazy and politely obliged. I did what any of us would have done, loaded up my truck and took it to the storage shed where it would patiently wait for its turn.

Right after Christmas I decided to purchase something I had my eye on for a while. I stalked ebay hoping to find a good deal and all that stalking paid off when I was able to snag a Logan Studio Joiner for under $75.00. I was thrilled. I have always enjoyed making my own picture frames, but unless you have some basic tools, it can be a real pain in the rear.

So after the eye roll Mr. K gave me when I mentioned my project, I did what any grown woman would do, I packed up my new toy and went to tell my dad. I’m totally kidding! Sort of, I did take it to my dad’s where he lovingly produced these….

And in case you are wondering why my pictures are rarely styled all cute and pretty.

Now you know. He is my shadow and touches everything.

Boy does he need a haircut!

Once they were cut and glued by dear old dad, Mr. K had glass cut to fit each, then we simply framed some of the old book pages I have lying around. He finished them off with lauan cut to fit the opening and used picture frame points to secure all the layers in place.

So there you have it. A finished project. Whew, I can finally mark one off my list. But not for long. I love how these turned out and I have already placed my order for many more! These beauties are off to my booth this week. If you are interested in them, simply shoot me an email.

With the weather warming up, I see many completed projects on the horizon. Hopefully I can keep up with my ideas!

Enjoy your day.

Sunburst Mirrors = Love

2011-03-15T13:45:00.002-05:00

Lately, I have found myself loving something new. Something quite outside the box for me. Something I normally would simply pass up without so much as a second glance.
But since this post I decided to be a bit more daring. To step out of my comfort zone and choose things I actually love, but never thought they would work in my space.
I love all things cottage. But sometimes, I find that I can take a step in another direction I just might like it.
I know that sunburst mirrors have been around for a long long time. They are nothing new. However, I just love it when somebody takes an idea and reinvents the wheel so to speak.
And these beauties are speaking to me.

Source: Southern Living

I especially love this one. Made from reclaimed bead board it is quite the stunner. So colorful and whimsical. Just that perfect touch of personality to wake a room up.

Source: Ballard Designs

If you want classic and understated, I would choose this one. The subtle wood tones are so beautiful. This would be perfect anywhere, but I would so love it over my mantle.

Source: Bobo Intriguing Objects

And then there’s this one. This baby is really speaking my language. Rustic and made from reclaimed wine barrels. So much character. The patina of the wood is perfect!

My only problem, these are way, way, way out of my price range. I’m thinking maybe, just maybe they can be DIYed. I have an old wine barrel in the shed, just waiting to be used. Hmmmm…I see a project in the works.

If Birds of a Feather Flock Together…I’m in

2011-03-09T09:24:00.001-06:00

Don’t you just love this bright and cheery bathroom decorated by Ann at Birds of a Feather? Well guess what, it’s a doll house she made over for the littles in her life. Head on over to see the rest of this transformation. It oozes creativity. If she can do that to a dollhouse….

Counter Pace

2011-03-07T23:38:00.000-06:00

As in Snail’s pace. We are slowly creeping along with the countertops and we have no Counter Space right now. That means everything is piled high on the kitchen table, which is in plain view for anyone who comes to the front door. This is driving me crazy, but I will continue to tolerate it because I know that I will love it in the end.

This weekend, was not as productive as last weekend because I spent much of it at the kids’ school working the biggest fundraiser of the year and since I’m all about helping keep tuition costs down, I gladly volunteered. So, while I worked Mr. K stayed home with the kiddos and when I was home, he was busy working on one of our rental properties that is currently vacant. Needless to say, not much was accomplished. So while time was certainly not on our sides, we had a bigger issue when my dad informed us that due to the very nasty fumes, we couldn’t apply the Waterlox while said kiddos were home.

So we had to implement Plan B, and that translates into, we had no Plan B. Instead, we decided the mister would come home early, drop kids off at my office and apply one coat of sealer. After which we headed out for dinner and by the time we got home, most of the nasty stench was gone and we were left with these.

Now, a whole week later we have not been able to strategically schedule another coat of Waterlox and the counters are still sitting, idly waiting for more doin’ from the honey and considering just how long his list is, we might be eating at a very crowded corner of the table for longer than expected.

And despite our setback, I have to admit that I love, love, love…love (had to throw one more in there) the way they are looking right now. I smile every time I walk in the room and when no one is looking, I have even done a happy dance or two, which is rare.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

They are so much warmer and a are actually speaking the floor’s language! Considering we only spent about $50 total, I’m wondering just why we didn’t do it sooner.

Do you think it would be odd if I slept on them? I just love them so much!

Kitchen Counters Revisited

2011-03-02T06:02:00.000-06:00

It’s been almost 3 years since we moved into our humble abode and as I am known to do, I have developed an itch to change it up. Before we moved in we spent many days tearing down and building up so we could get it out of the 70’s where it had been stuck, since, well the 70’s.

Not only that, there was a wall separating a too-small dining room from an even smaller kitchen. We tore down a wall and set out to make it more open and user-friendly. You can read more about that here.

So after a very labor intensive demo we attempted to create my dream kitchen on a smaller than small budget. Now my dream kitchen would have most likely been marble, but since ~~Mr. K was too cheap~~, ~~this is reality,~~ that wasn’t in the budget, we settled on the these Ikea countertops, which I raved about here.

Now, I still love them and they have held up really well with the kiddos and lots of water and koolaid. But there was just one thing that was a-buggin me. They were just too light for me anyway. They were never stained because we wanted them to be food safe. And, since we installed these counters in 2008, Kristi had yet to do this post.

But with the powerful information to be found in the blog world, I discovered Waterlox and after giving it lots and lots of thought, I decided to go for it.

So this weekend was spent doing lots of this

and going through tons of that

I started out trying to use 120 grit paper with my palm sander that was passed down by my dad and has seen better days, but it is my favorite power tool and I will never give it up. Anyhoo, since I had repeatedly treated the counters with Butcher Block Oil, it was gumming up the paper pretty quickly, so I had to reassess and went down to 80 grit paper. I followed with the 120, then 150 and finally with 220. I know it might have been more than I needed, but I wanted a perfectly smooth finish.

(work in progress)

So after hours of sanding and 397,435 sheets of sandpaper later, I was able to apply my first coat of stain. Initially I was going to use Minwax, but our small hardware store no longer carried it, so we ended up going with Varathane Dark Walnut and I couldn’t be more pleased. Let’s just say, we’ll likely be using that one again.

This is how they look right now, after two coats of stain, (but still awaiting the Waterlox, which recommends a 72 hour drying time for stain before applied).

Ahh, much better, I love the warmer tone of the wood.

You can catch a glimpse of the floor in the lower right hand corner of this picture and see that this is a much closer match than it was unstained. Yes, we stained them in place and attempted to use Frog Tape to protect the grout, but I must say ~~we were~~ I was unsuccessful. Not sure if it was the tape or user error, but I’m leaning towards user error because in the places I know it was really secure, no stain bled through. Needless to say, Mr. K is not happy at the thought of having to remove the grout and redo that line (especially since that is one thing we hired out the tile installation). I say live and learn. He wasn’t quite as positive about it.

I’m happy to report the Waterlox arrived yesterday as expected and I will begin applying it tomorrow night and I can’t wait. The kitchen is a disaster. We can’t really use the island because it is housing my supplies and don’t even think about the table that’s covered with I-usually-live-on-the-counter-stuff. As for the sink and faucet, no one has touched them, they were frightened by my death stare.

Hopefully, I’ll back later this week with a counter update. And if Mr. K is cooperating he will be picking up some things from the glass store that I hinted about in this post.

I think my winter hibernation is over and with the kids sports schedules coming to an official close tonight with a final volleyball game, I feel like I’m finally going to get back into my groove. I think my body requires paint brushes and power tools to survive. Heck, thanks to my dad, I was practically born with them in my hands.

Technorati Tags: Before and After,Kitchen,Staining

F-R-E-E….That Spells FREE!

2011-02-28T14:24:00.000-06:00

I ain’t talkin’ credit report baaybee. Nope, I’m talking furniture. Lots of furniture and nothing gets my heart racing more than getting my hands on a tired old piece that can come to life with the simple stroke of a brush. Just like Miss Mustard Seed. Now that is one talented lady and while I cannot hold a candle to her, I can sure have fun tryin!

And let me tell ya, once you see these pictures, you will see just how much fun I’m going to have this Spring. But, like any good story, I must share the back story in order for it to be fully appreciated. As you know, my dad is one of my biggest supporters, cheerleaders and my go-to-do-it-all-man. This is not to sell Mr. K short, oh no, not at all, it’s just that I have always been a daddy’s girl. Not the spoiled daddy’s girl you might be envisioning, quite the opposite actually. In fact, he would, as sort of a family joke, say we were his boys. He always wanted a son, and my dad and mom tried four times, but the Good Lord blessed him with 4 girls instead. So, he did what any good DIYer did, he worked with what he had. So, growing up we were raised just like boys, expected to shoot guns, work on cars and work on whatever project he had going at the time, which were many and is probably where I get it today. We were never allowed to say girls can’t do it or even use the work can’t when referring to our abilities. He would always tell us anything the boys can do, the girls can do better. And he meant it! To say I am lucky to have my father is an understatement. He does more for me than I would ever have time to share here. Not the least of which is to pick up my two school aged kids each and every day from school, feed them, take them to practices and games, pick them up and even has been known to take them to and from Friday night sock-hops that don’t end until 10 p.m. Whew, I’m worn out just telling ya that much about him.

But his good deeds don’t end there and I’m glad they don’t. You see, he is an original dumpster diver. Not only does he find the good stuff in the dumpsters and alleys, he’s been known to knock on a door or two if need be to inquire about furniture or wood that has just been sitting in the same place for a while. I bet you see where this is headed. And if you guessed that my dad acquired all of this furniture, well you would be almost correct, Mr. K nabbed a few pieces for good measure. I could never thank these two for all that they do for me. I have the two best partners-in-crime a girl could ask for!

Okay, enough gushing about the great men in my life, on to the good stuff…pictures. (Warning: Please ignore any leaves or bicycles or general messiness in my dad's barn/shed)

First up, these babies…I know they don’t look like much now with their gaudy red paint, but I am hoping to channel some of Holly's talents and paint them white or grey depending..

There are three pieces including a quasi-night-stand. Not the one on top the tall dresser, but stashed up front. The lovely table on top is also waiting for a paint job.

Next, is this dresser. She has such gorgeous lines, all curvy up front! I’m not sure how she will end up, but she will surely be painted, she has a bit of damage on one of the sides near the bottom.

…There's still more. This adorable chair that with some glue and paint will be reborn. That mirror in the back came home with me yesterday, and is just waiting to be hung wherever I decide she should go.

I’m thinking this dresser would be perfect for this treatment. We’ll see.

Next up are a couple of Mr. K finds…Oh how I love that man.

And finally, this dining room set. China cabinet/hutch, buffet and 6 chairs. I can’t wait to get my hands on those babies.

Anyway, the more I look at these pictures, the more excited I get. I know it will be a lot of work, but a lot of fun too. I can’t wait to show you what I was up to over the weekend and what my dad made out of this.

If you need any painting or refinishing tips, word on the street is this talented chick-a-dee has an awesome e-book that will be released this week.

Ever Wonder…

2011-02-22T10:04:00.000-06:00

Hello lovely blog world. Yesterday we celebrated Presidents’ Day with an official day off. Day off from my full-time job outside of the home that is. Not my full-time job at home. We were no couch potatoes. Oh no, we worked our tails off. It isn’t like I’m breaking child labor laws, but I came close yesterday. It isn’t my fault really. You see, we are so busy during sports that our house becomes sort of a dump for everything as we simply eat, shower and sleep there. I know I sound like every mom, but when we are juggling, 5 dance classes, volleyball, basketball, basketball cheerleading and math team, with a 35 mile commute one way and a toddler in tow…trust me, we have very little time .

Thankfully we are finishing up volleyball this week and basketball and cheerleading have been over for a couple of weeks. Math team and dance will continue until school is out, and we will still have dance team competitions and dance camps all summer. But for us, that is much more doable.

So back to our big day yesterday. I gave the house the Monica treatment (you fellow Friends know what I mean) and it was sparkling from top to bottom, except in the kids’ rooms. I named this post Ever Wonder, because I bet you might wonder why their rooms never seem to make an appearance on this here blog of mine. Well there are two reasons for that. First, bed making by those two is about as frequent as a solar eclipse and second, it is because they are like their mama, their rooms constantly evolve and they are not even close to done. In fact, Ms. Amanda has decided she would love a French inspired room and we are trying to put a plan together. More on that another day.

For today, I have a couple sneak peeks into their tween caves. Because, THEY ACTUALLY MADE THEIR BEDS. I know all you fellow moms to tweens are feeling me here.

So, without further ado, here is a little clip of Brandon’s room….

Complete with wrinkled duvet and nosy toddler. The gorgeous pillow covers came from My Sweet Savannah's Etsy shop. If you’re interested. The duvet is Pottery Barn and was originally intended for the guest room, which has since become a nursery and this bed was used in there as well. We love to play musical furniture in our house.

That trophy case was an eBay find, which isn’t quite as organized as I would like, but I think you get the picture. I scored it for $80 bucks and his dad had one of his driver’s pick it up on their way back home. So, shipping was f-r-e-e! (Ignore his less than perfect bed making skills, I’m on cloud 9 that it’s made!)

Ya, I’m not a fan of the hats either, but they are all nice in a row which works with his OCD. He has a little make-shift desk made up of his book case and he uses an old drafter’s stool that I found at a garage sale already painted that awesome red. We have a long way to go on this room, new blinds, curtains, crown molding, lots of little things that we will keep tweaking. But, you get the idea.

Next up, Princess Amanda (as she calls herself)

I know this picture is quite overexposed, but in my giddiness, I didn’t look as closely and that little LCD monitor on my camera didn’t look this bright. She insists she is keeping the zebra rug, which is fine by me, but the bedding, she informs me “no longer works”.

She has quite an obsession with pillow pets, which drives me bonkers because I have a real aversion to stuffed animals of any kind…too much dust. Her bedding is also Pottery Barn. Again, we have a long way to go on this room and hopefully, now that our schedules will be slowing back down, we will be able to get some much needed work done around our humble abode.

So there you have it. The kids have bedrooms, but rarely make their beds. Please tell me that I am not the only parent to non-bed-making-tweens. Better yet, if you have tips for keeping up on a busy schedule or even how to get them to make their beds, feel free to chime in. Oh and I hope you enjoyed your long weekend. Or at least had a productive weekend.

I’ve gone and done it…

2011-02-17T13:52:00.000-06:00

It feels like Spring outside today. The temperature is 55 and if you know Illinois weather, we’ll gladly take that in February! I used to get up in the morning, make the coffee, check the weather, email and Google Reader on my laptop. That has come to a screeching halt because the power cord on my laptop gave out. I have since ordered one, but it has yet to arrive.

And if you remember this post, you’ll remember I’m technologically challenged and I avoid change like the plague, so I sat patiently waiting for my new cord to arrive. In the meantime, I also had cell phone challenges. I don’t get the whole this tower serves this phone and not that one and you can get some texts if you are sitting here but not there. My cell phone challenge was that my texts rarely, if ever, came through my phone and if on the off chance they arrived, I didn’t even dare attempt a reply. They NEVER worked and I mean NEVER.

My wonderful dad generously provides me with a cell phone and service each year and that constitutes my birthday present. But, considering that my children and my dad’s main form of communication is via text, it left me severely out of the loop. I was ready to switch providers all together, suck it up and get my own cell phone service. I couldn’t understand how my dad’s phone sent and received texts with no problem, but my identical phone, on the same carrier did no such task. So, being the kind man that he is, he went on over to the nearest store and inquired. Apparently, it is that I live 20 miles from him and am on a different tower…pesky little buggers those towers. Anyway, long story short, he called me to inform me that he had a solution. His solution was to switch to a partner carrier who is still on his plan and upgrade my phone to this.

So far, I have had a crash course in smart phone technology and I’m hooked. Here is my question….are you iPhone or Android? If you are a fellow droidian (totally made that up) feel free to share your favorite apps and/or your tips, tricks or secrets. I need all the help I can get!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

2011-02-14T10:38:00.000-06:00

“A life without love is like a year without summer.” ~ Swedish Proverb

I’m a Winner

2011-02-07T16:46:00.000-06:00

I have been fighting bronchitis since the wonderful blizzard that dumped about 18 inches of snow here in lovely Illinois and with sports schedules and school field trips, I’ve really fallen behind in blog stalking. I have really been craving time for myself and in an effort to get caught up, I came in to work early this morning and grabbed myself a hot cup of Joe!. And do you know what I found staring back at me when I opened Google Reader…over 348 unread posts. Yikes.

You can imagine how long that was going to take! In fact, in my rush, I overlooked my lovely friend Chania's announcement of the CSN Stores Giveaway Winner, which she recently hosted. I couldn’t believe it. She had to email me (more than once) to give me the good news. I was so overjoyed, I went right on over to their site and ordered this beauty.

I can’t wait for it to get here! Thank you to CSN stores and my lovely friend Chania for hosting such a great giveaway!

Curtain…Love

2011-02-03T11:57:00.000-06:00

Ok, so ya know I’ve been working on the master bedroom for a while (along with the entire rest of the house) and I have really been wondering what I will do eventually for curtains. While I do have some limited sewing skills, I really just don’t have the time or patience to tackle that type of project.

Well, today, during a lovely conversation with a wonderful woman by the name of Tricia Rose, I saw a link in her email to Rough Linen where she sells these….

Aren’t they G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S. She is full of useful information and today she taught me the phrase AGOG, which apparently means “my eyes are boggling and my mouth hanging open!” Well I can tell you I am all AGOG over these beauties.

Don’t you think they would just look wonderful in my master bedroom??? Oh please say yes! That way, I can tell Mr. K that I must have them, and I can blame it on you guys! If you haven’t seen her site, head on over and see all of the beautiful bedding, pillows, curtains, napkins, and speaking of napkins, I think I need one for the drool.

Master Bedroom progress

2011-02-01T11:55:00.000-06:00

Quite some time ago, I happened upon a bunch of old plat maps, surveys and old printed deeds from our local area. I couldn’t pass that much history up, even though at the time, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them. So into storage they went. That is until my favorite catalog arrived last month and I saw this picture .

I Love this Image from Pottery Barn. I love the crisp white sofa against the rustic old plat pages and schematic drawings.

I finally had a use for all those old maps. I am infatuated with not just old maps, but plat book pages, blueprints and any kind of technical drawings. I used only a few of the pages I had on hand to recreate (aka copy) this look in my bedroom. I recently painted my headboard white and am in the process of freshening this room and giving it a cozier look.

The next two pictures are before shots…boring! Oh and I’ll talk about my new lamps in another post.

This is where it gets better. Not wanting to tape or pin the pages to the wall, I simply used poster putty. Super cheap and easy. I just started slapping them up on the wall with no real plan in my head. I just wanted to cover the walls and see where I ended up.

I was only found one blue map. I was bummed, but really loved how it looked. In most pictures, it was hard to make out the white on the blue, but it shows a bit better in this close up.

I have quite a bit left to do to get this room where I want it. I have refinished two nightstands and have yet to find knobs for them. I still want to paint the walls, which will require moving the maps, but that’s ok too. I just had to give them a shot.

I have always had a hard time deciding what to hang on my walls. I tend to tire of things very quickly, so I am always hesitant to hang up anything. This is definitely something I can live with. I couldn’t believe how easy it was. I went to eBay to see if similar pages can be found there and I was able to find some plat books. I purchased one book and though I did not have to take it apart for this project, I suppose that can be done.

I was planning to save this job for the big blizzard headed here, but just couldn’t wait. It also explains why I did no staging in these pictures, you saw my room as is. I was in such a hurry to get them taken while the bed was made!

Let me know what you think of my total copy job. Mr. K told me it makes our ceilings look higher. That made me very happy. Especially since I am thinking of painting it a blue-grey. Have any of you painted your ceilings a color beyond white? If so, did you love it or hate it? I’d love to know. Oh and any ideas of what to do during a blizzard, please pass it on. I have a feeling the kids are going to be very bored!

Love…

2011-01-24T16:38:00.000-06:00

Ahh, nothing like the old Pottery Barn Bed and Bath Catalog in the mailbox to get your heart a pumpin’. I am in LOVE.

This bed reminds me of my bed in our master bedroom. My favorite color combination…check. I just love the fresh country farmhouse look of this room. Gorgeous vintage looking frames on the wall. We won’t even mention the sconce or hydrangeas. I am in Love.

And the bed. Hmmmm….I love it, but love the price of mine better.

Makes me want to really get busy on refreshing our bedroom. Now, if I can just find the time!

So, what are you currently drooling over? Does that catalog get ya going too?

Am I the Only One???

2011-01-05T13:16:00.000-06:00

So I greet you today with a confession. Of course, this confession probably comes as no surprise to any of you who frequent my humble blog. I am in no way techy savvy, in fact, I am quite the opposite.

It’s true. In fact, all those technically challenged jokes out there, yep you guessed it, written about me. Totally embarrassing. I have an ancient cell phone and barely know how to use my ipod. I don’t even know what kind it is. My poor kids have to answer and type my text messages. Grrr. I know I need to get with the program and that is part of the reason for the blog.

You see, I can share my love of decorating and my family and hope like heck I can use Google to answer all my questions. I started this blog with the best intentions. Then, as time went on, I started to wane. It wasn’t because I didn’t have projects or didn’t want to share. Oh no, that wasn’t the case at all. I just had to admit that sometimes a blog post was actually challenging for me.

The shame. Then, I happened upon this post by Kate. Of course, I quickly headed over and downloaded this and I believe this will make it much easier for me to share my fun with ya!

I guess that is why I asked the question, "Am I the Only One?" Am I the only one who is so technically challenged? And don't be afraid to share your favorite blogging tips and tricks or even share a link where you learned something that challenged you.

I think 2011 is going to be the year where I really push myself out of my comfort zone and learn some new things. What will you be trying new this year???

Pinning Down My Style

2011-01-03T15:41:00.000-06:00

If you’ve been reading this here blog of mine, you will probably quickly come to the realization that my mind changes like the wind. My house is in an ever constant state of tweaking. I have yet to get one room finished and at the same time, realize that is not even in my vocabulary.

Who can blame me really? I love decorating my house for us and I am constantly inspired by all the lovely photos in catalogs, magazines and of course, on blogs. It makes me restless. Unhappy with my own domain. Forever evolving. But this with the new year came a realization. I started this blog over a year ago (yes my bloganniversary came and went without so much as a peep from me) and one thing I have discovered is that I am actually beginning to pin down my own style. I have always found myself drawn to country decorating like this beauty from the very talented Nancy Fishelson.

She is ever inspiring and I love the calmness of palette. Lovely.

Up next, this traditional room with my all-time favorite combination of blue and white. *Sigh* Seriously, LOVE this room.

(I forgot to copy the source and I’ve had this one a while, so if you know, please let me know!)

Or how about this traditional beauty. Honestly, would this room ever look old…dated? I think not. Some people just know EXACTLY how to make a house a home and Heather Chadduck was born with that ability.

And then we move on to movie sets. Seriously, how many of you see a movie repeatedly just for the houses? Can I get an amen! And two that do not disappoint are of course Nancy Meyers leaves us drooling over our popcorn. Her movies are even better because of the sets, I am quite convinced.

Something’s Gotta Give

It’s Complicated

GORGEOUS. I love both. They are crisp and clean with just enough slipcovered furniture and natural textures to make it casual, soothing and peaceful. Oh and of course, interesting!

Also interesting, Pottery Barn! I mean seriously, how many of us can’t wait to get those in the mail? I love mine. And as much as I do, I find myself not always achieving that look. You know the pulled together, crisp, clean look you get between those glossy pages.

So I think, as much as I hate to actually put to paper…err type on the computer….and box myself in. I think I must focus and admit that as much as I LOVE chippy old worn paint and some shabby items, too many of them are not giving me the look I’m after. I think this year, I am more determined than ever to actually commit to sticking with one look and simplify by only buying things that will actually fit my plan and selling the rest. Yep you heard that right. I still have my little antique booth and while it isn’t exactly making me financially rich, it is making me happy. I am doing something I love. Which is why I fail to find enough time to blog about my projects. This year, I plan to spend more time focusing on what I love. My resolution is to enjoy this year. To enjoy my family even more than I do. I need to be more of a life lover.

So I am vowing now to complete more projects, share them with you, enjoy my life more and ummmm loose the lingering baby weight!

Do you find it hard to pin yourself down to one style? Or is it easy for you? What if any are you resolving to do differently this year? I would love to know!

Happy New Year!!!

Santa Clause Came to Town

2010-12-16T13:47:00.000-06:00

In my last post, I mentioned that Santa Clause had come to our house early. Mr. K and I don't really buy each other Christmas presents. We really enjoy shopping for the kiddos and since we tend to buy stuff we want throughout the year, and even at Christmas time!

Mr. K, is a very very unselfish. Every single time I ~~need~~ want him to tackle a project, it requires him transporting his tools home from his shop (40 miles away). So you can imagine what a pain in the rear-end that is. And as usual, when I asked him what he wanted for Christmas, his response was "Nothing". I had been anticipating this answer, so like any good elf, I figured out exactly what he would want....err, or just something that would make his life easier and us both happier.

No more lugging a bunch of tools back and forth for simple things like hanging a picture or cutting some boards! We both benefit and, I scored 'em brand new for a song here

...gotta love that.

Speaking of scoring things for a song, I have been on the hunt for a new area rug for the living room. My favorite rug wasn't working out because theliving room needed some texture.

I will probably mention many times how bad my ADD is, especially when it comes to decorating. As much as I love white, there just seemed to be too much of it all mismashed together. And the one place I decided to add some pattern was curtains. I had my heart set on the Hutton Drapes from Pottery Barn, I loved how pretty they were. Of course they were way more than I wanted to spend, because I will likely change them again. I was determined to find them cheaper and I had to look no further than Urban Outfitters, which is where I found these.

Once I hung them up though, something bugged me. I hated the way they looked. I loved the panels, it was the way they were hanging that I was not digging. Then I remembered I had purchased bags and bags of curtain rings over the summer for a couple of bucks at a garage sale. Now admittedly, it took a little time to get those buggars all sewn onto the panels, but I think you will agree with me, totally worth it!

Now as much as I am diggin' the curtains sportin' the new rings, I was still missing a rug. It was driving me bonkers, so I went ~~trolling~~ searching eBay, but this time, no luck. What I was looking for was out of my price range, but more importantly, I decided I actually wanted to be able to touch the rug to determine if it was not too hard. I have decided that (for me) rug shopping must be done in person.

I have been searching for weeks and on Sunday after church, Amanda and I stopped in a couple stores for a quick peek. I kept coming up empty handed, so I was ready to give up when I make a stop at Lowe's. My plan there was to find some blinds for the window to block out a bit more light because, I also decided I as much as I am in love with those curtains, they let in way too much light when you are trying to watch the boob tube! So I had all but given up on my quest to find the rug and really had only ducked into Lowe's to get some blinds. While I was there I figured I would at least look at rugs, what could it hurt. I headed to the rug section where surprisingly, I was disappointed. I found one rug that was a great color, perfect size, not a bad price, but then...I touched it, it felt like hard plastic. So right then and there, I decided to forgo the rug and just get my blinds and get home before the weather got too bad. As I was making my way to the blind section, I passed that center-aisle-clearance-rack when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a serious contender. As I approached the rack, I saw that it was only a 5'x7' rug, way too small for what I wanted. But there were two and at 40 bucks each, maybe it could work, if I used some carpet tape. I stood there for a minute trying to decide if I should just do it, when a salesman walked up behind me and asked if he could sweeten the deal and get me to take a rug home. I asked sheepishly, what do you have in mind?? When he told me half price, I couldn't get them in the cart fast enough. He was chuckling at me as he wrote 50% per Art, for the cashier. I was so excited. I was getting a rug - equivalent to 7'x10' for EIGHTY BUCKS! I did a serious happy dance all the way out the store!

I am still awaiting Mr. K to stop by and get some carpet tape, but I'm being patient because not only did he spring for the curtains and ok the rug, site unseen, he also hung up the light fixture I bought at another garage sale over the summer for a whoppin' $3! I'm so excited with the changes! It seems so much more homey and warm. I tried snapping some pictures yesterday, but without blinds, the curtains let in tons of light, which is great overall, but not for t.v. watching or picture taking. Not only was the sun giving me heck, but Brandon was home not feeling well and he was too busy playing with Carson's new toy to let me get some shots without him! And I couldn't quit laughing at Carson's reaction to that...

Priceless!

Anyway, here is my ever evolving living room now that Santa has made some early deliveries!

I have ordered blinds and can't wait for them to get here. FedEx says they should be here today..I'm crossing my fingers.

Santa has been so good this year! Now, if I could convince him I need some more pillows for my couch....

So tell me, did Santa come early or do you have to wait until Christmas? I would also LOVE to hear what's on your Christmas list this year!

Oh and my lovely friend Meganis hosting a slumber party on her blog as a way to introduce bloggers to each other. Pop over to meet new friends and add your blog to invite new friends!

P.S. As I am finishing up the FedEx man arrived with my blinds...wooohoo...GOOD TIMES!

Christmas Tree - Take Two

2010-12-13T18:27:00.000-06:00

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...and the fire is so delightful...and I am not even kidding. It is freezing outside, the roads are a mess and we were more than ready for a night in.

The tree has only been in the house for almost a week! I was still unsure just what ornaments I was going to use. Seriously, my ADD totally carries over into Christmas. And, to be perfectly honest, I don't even want to know for sure how many lights and ornaments I own. Those after Christmas bargains get me every time.

What I knew for sure was that I really wanted to take a simple approach this year. And honestly, we still had not put away last year's ornaments, so I decided we would just start there and see what we came up with.

Last year, I made garland by tying pieces of off-white felt onto twine. I loved the rustic simplicity. It couldn't have been cheaper or easier. Next, I layered on white and silver ornaments. Those were the only requirements, silver and white. I purchased a few new ornaments from Walmart and Hobby Lobby and have my eye on a couple of silver beauties from Pier 1, but we'll see what's left after Christmas.

The tradition here is just to let the kids have at it. I enjoy knowing they put their own creative touch on things and the tree is no exception. It always turns out beautifully and I'm so happy they enjoy it. I'm not one of those lucky peeps who had wonderful Christmas traditions to pass on. So, when I became a mom, I decided to try and start my own. We are pretty laid back around here, and self-expression is certainly welcome here.

So, without further ado, I give you our finished tree....

Here's wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

P.S. Santa came early this year and I can't wait to show you what he brought me!

Let it Snow

2010-12-10T09:49:00.000-06:00

Just poppin in to say Happy Friday and send ya over to Nikki's blog for instructions to make these adorable snow globes.

O Christmas Tree - Take 1

2010-12-09T10:13:00.000-06:00

I think as long as you read these posts of mine, you will find the most common theme is lack of time. I'm like the broken record, constantly reminding you that time is something I have a major shortage of.

Luckily, we did find the time to drive the hour and a half and trek through the tree farm to find the perfect tree.

Mr. K and I have spent the last 6 years making our own traditions and one of our absolute favorites is taking the time to buy a real tree. The kids have a blast searching through the forest of trees at the tree farm and finding the perfect one. Surprisingly, we always agree on a tree. Sometimes the hunt is long and cold. Carson isn't quite old enough to understand the whole annual tree hunt, but he sure did like the snow.

And it actually didn't take long to find "it" once we arrived and quickly scanned our map to find the Fraiser Firs.

They are my favorite tree. Not to full, not to bare, just right. Brandon couldn't wait to get out in his coveralls and brave the cold in his quest for the perfect tree. Funny thing as we were driving next to him, we spotted the one and as we rolled down the window to tell him, he pointed it out to us. It was so meant to be ours.

The kids usually fight over who gets to cut the tree down. Personally, I like to get back in the truck with the baby and cuddle, and let them do the saw wielding. Brandon won out this time and made really quick work of it.

Once he got the tree down, we loaded it in the truck and made our way home. Sadly, we have only managed to get it in the house and our plan is to get it decorated on Friday night. I look forward to it every single year. As we were tree hunting, the kids asked which ornaments we would use this year. Every year I have managed to find new inspiration for creating a different look. We have woodland ornaments, Americana, Coca Cola and starfish. This year, I feel especially overwhelmed and really just plan to keep it really simple. I manage to read other blogs and find that it seems to be the theme among a lot of folks. So, I guess I am not alone in my quest for a simple Christmas.

It's Thursday and tomorrow night is tree decorating and I still have no idea exactly what I want to do, but I'm sure it will be simple and likely white. I can't wait for Christmas Tree - Take 2 to share my finished tree!

And I would love to hear your favorite Christmas tradition and whether it's real or fake for your tree!

Decorating the Porch for Christmas

2010-12-02T10:03:00.002-06:00

First, I wanted to say thanks for all the kind words that were expressed to me after my last post. We have made it through Thanksgiving and are chugging along heading straight for Christmas.

While we have not yet gotten the Christmas tree up, I always decorate our porch so that when we come home at night, we are welcomed by a festive site.

I love to decorate with evergreen boughs because we have so many pine trees on one of our properties, so they are F-R-E-E! The only thing I purchased for our porch was two wreath forms that set me back about $6. The florist gave me some paddle wire for free, so I was able to make two wreaths for that price. I have yet to get the bows up, but wanted to at least take part in Rhoda's linky party.

Most of my vignettes are super simple. Mostly just greenery and berries with a few lanterns and vintage accessories sprinkled in for fun.

I love to fill buckets and planters.

I just set them around the porch, even just on an old bench. Adds so much color and feels so festive and alive.

A few years ago, I attended an old farm auction and found these steel boxes for $1 each. Had to scoop those up. I've always wanted window boxes and despite Mr. K's hesitancy, he hung them for me. He was worried the steel would look funny against the brick. I think they are super yummy and keep walking outside to stare at them. I couldn't be happier.

I frequently change out furniture on the porch and right now we have a burlap covered table covered in greenery and lanterns. I love the warm feeling I get from them.

I really LOVE red at Christmas.

I love this old cabinet, it was another auction find, but at only $85, who could pass it up. I will eventually move it inside, as soon as I find the perfect spot!

We should have our tree up soon. We started the tradition of a real tree a few years ago. We have been hooked since. It isn't about the old real vs. fake argument, it is more about the family time. We take the kids to the tree farm and hunt for the perfect tree. Then the kids get to cut it down and bring it home to decorate. It is such a fun family day and I cherish it each year.

I can't wait to share it with ya.

Linking up too.

Gratitude

2010-11-23T12:13:00.000-06:00

This is my second attempt at this post. I've renamed it because I am forcing myself to be grateful and sometimes, that is just plain hard.

I read other blogs. I love other blogs. I crave the creativity, the ability to write and the positive energy that just emits from the screen of the computer. I love the writers as if we are besties and they may not even know my name.

I enjoy reading about the joy. Sometimes, in our own lives, we forget that being joyful comes from our ability to be grateful. Even if you have weeks like mine.

The first draft included so many details that after I read it, you may very well think I had made it all up like some attention-starved loon. But the reality is that it was crappy! Really crappy.

I have told you so many about my kiddos. The oldest three are actually by my ex. We have remained close and he and Mr. K are even friends. We are so lucky to have that kind of relationship. It works for us and the kids are better for it. He owns a trucking company and recently has had to drive. Last week, he called to tell me that he was stranded in Maryland.

His truck caught on fire. Thankfully, he was not hurt and has since made it home safe and sound. But, what a way to start the week.

I tried to keep my chin up all week, but the hits just kept coming. I felt like I was in the ring with Muhammad Ali all week.

It seemed like if something could go wrong, it did. I have meant to post lots of pretty pictures of my decorated porch and some "new" thrifted items I had found. But all that seemed a lot less important.

My 46 year old cousin was diagnosed with cancer on Monday of last week. She had been having problems with a cough and the doctors just kept treating the cough. She finally decided to get another opinion. By the time they told her what the real problem was, it was too late. She passed away on Thursday. Only a few short days after she was given the actual diagnosis. She was my aunt's only child. She is devastated. We are all heartbroken. Her illness came as quite a shock and I can't believe it was so sudden. We are stunned.

This Thanksgiving I believe I need to focus more on being grateful. Grateful for the safety of my family. The time we have together. Sometimes, I get so caught up in the house being pretty and the food tasting delicious, I fail to see what is really important and take the time to really appreciate it.

I have recently made the decision to get my rear-end back in church. I send my kids to private school where they can pray and speak freely about God. Yet, for my own reasons, have found it hard to return to church. It is the best decision I have ever made. I have returned my focus where it needs to be. I have needed God this week a lot. I have always held on to my faith, but for some reason felt ashamed that I was not taking the time to go to church. Like I wasn't giving that time to God. Besides, going just makes me feel better, makes my week better. God makes me feel like I am able to handle life and the stress it keeps piling on me.

So this Thanksgiving I am going to focus on being grateful for the things that have been good this year. Thankful that I am here with my family. Especially, after last night. Mr. K had picked the kids up from my dad's, which is where they hang out after school. It is a 35 mile drive to our house. They were more than half way home when they hit a deer. Thankfully no one was hurt, but I'm telling you if I didn't know for myself that all of these things have happened to me in ONE WEEK, I wouldn't believe it. It just sounds too bad to be true.

I hope that my message has not been to muddled by my string of bad luck and tragedy. We are here today and for that we should be grateful. I feel lucky to be with my family right now and hope you are all where you want to be on Thanksgiving and with the ones you love. Don't take one second of your life for granted.

Have a great week and a Happy Thanksgiving!

Meet the Smiths who desperately need your vote!

2010-11-18T15:19:00.000-06:00

Meet the Smiths.

That's Matt and Amy, parents of 5 children, 16, 15, 12 and a set of 11 year old twins. Matt was recently diagnosed with a Stage 2 inoperable brain tumor. You can imagine their struggles and now Matt is unable to work and they are having an increasingly harder time. They have an opportunity to win a Hyundai and could really use a new vehicle to make the thrice weekly trips to his treatment over 30 miles away.

This is where you come in, I am desperately seeking votes for this family. They need tons more votes to win and it costs nothing to vote. If you could please take the time to cast a vote for them it would be so appreciated. Also, if you would please pass this along either via Facebook or Twitter, I would be forever grateful. And of course, you're prayers are even more appreciated.

If you want to vote go here and you can read more about them here.

Happy Fall Y'all

2010-11-09T16:48:00.000-06:00

I just realized I forgot to share Carson's Halloween costume. I really wanted to dress him in one of those cute monkey or lion costumes, but he refused to put one on. He would cry at the sight of a furry costume.

So we took the DIY route with his costume and decided he would be a "scarecrow" and since Mr. K didn't let him go trick-or-treating (it was a bit balmy here), he just handed out candy dressed like this...

Cutest scarecrow I've ever seen.

The Family Room and the little topiary.

2010-11-08T14:50:00.000-06:00

Hello long lost friends. I have been struggling lately with finding the time to balance out this crazy life of mine. I started this blog as a way to share my ideas and meet like minded friends. I find myself overwhelmed sometimes and think if I can only do a couple of blog posts, I'm failing somehow. I also find that I want to share more than just the decorating only ideas. It seems that the blog world really is a like minded bunch. We share similar interests. Decorating, family and photography.

I also really love thrifting and transforming. It gives me such a sense of accomplishment. When I can create or recreate something for cheap or sometimes even free, it makes me feel like I've really accomplished something.

Sometimes, it's creating something that seems ordinary to others, but it's extraordinary to me. Mostly because I used my hands to create something for my home that I love.

I have ALWAYS admired these topiaries, but could never bring myself to splurge for them. Not when I had that nagging feeling that I could make them myself.

I happened upon this post and knew I could take it on. I had already purchased two urns at a thrift store for about $1.00. Over the weekend, I made a trip to Hobby Lobby and decided to just go for it.

I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but the final result was just what I was after.

It never ceases to amaze me how such an easy project (time consuming, but easy) can be so rewarding. For me, it is that sense of getting to do something just for me. And trust me, that is no small feat in my house.

No matter how hard I tried today, I just couldn't get a good picture of that topiary in it's new home.

Speaking of new homes, this one (who is still waiting for a twin) is on top the fire place in our family room. This is a room I haven't shared much because it has so far to go. But I suppose, we all have rooms like this and as I look at it, maybe it has come a long way already and I should be a bit more grateful.

Yes Baby Carson just had to be in the pictures....

And I say grateful, because it has come so far. We tend to forget that when we are trying to live up to our own tough standards. I love the colors. This is Mr. K's favorite room. He says the color is soothing.

It's Sea Salt (Sherwin Williams) and I painted it when we moved in. I picked the color because it went so well with the couch. I waiver often and think I should paint it. If you can believe it, Mr. K actually puts his foot down and says, No. See, it's his room. His hangout. It's where the fireplace is and it's where the kids are most comfortable. He even hung up my Valentine's Day gift in there. Am I the only one who likes to paint for fun? I also painted my bathroom over the weekend. No wonder I never get a project completely done. My ADD stops me!

See those gorgeous hydrangeas, I actually got those at a garage sale. I stopped because it was at my dream house and I was hoping to get a couple peeks. She informed me that she was a master gardener and showed me a bit of her yard. Since it's fall, I imagine it looks even better in person. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera, but I didn't leave without some gorgeous flowers to liven up the room.

I have so many plans for that room. There are two low window seats on either side of the fireplace and we plan to rip them out and install built-ins with some salvaged windows. Oh, one of these days, I will get it done. Maybe if I talk about it, we will find time to do it.

We've also been busy decorating my beloved porch for fall. Can't wait to share that with ya.

Mmmmm...Coffee Table Book

2010-10-12T16:10:00.000-05:00

Howdy. I am really needing a pick me up right about now. It was a late night or was it an early morning? Anyway, the littlest one is cutting some serious teeth and apparently sleeping doesn't help with that. So my lack of energy got me thinking about a good cup of coffee and a good book. It wasn't hard to find one the hard part will be waiting for it to arrive.

Check it out.

I'm sure you recognize that house on the cover. Yep, it belongs to Maria of Dreamy Whites and the author is the one and only Fabulous Fifi.

Oh and in case you want to preorder your very own copy, you can do so here.

See ya'll later, I'm off to find some caffeine!

Very Cool Idea

2010-10-08T11:05:00.000-05:00

Howdy friends. I am trying so hard to get myself to focus on one project at a time, but with such a shortage of time, I find that nearly impossible. In fact, the opposite is true. Yep, I have managed to find another project I would absolutely LOVE to try.

I know Mr. K would never let me try this on the stainless fridge, but check out the cool gallery idea that Becky's used. I'm totally jealous!

Hmmmm....we do have an upright freezer in the garage.....

Better than a Raise...

2010-10-05T10:02:00.000-05:00

Hello peeps. Today is one of those perfect fall days. The weather is crisp and cool and I was dying for a day off, so I could snuggle with the baby on the couch, in front of the fire with a good cup of Joe! Sigh. I think I am in need of a good day off. A pajama day maybe. I rarely get those because we are so busy and when we are home there is housework and a boat load of unfinished projects just waiting for attention. So, with that in mind, I forced myself out the door and on to work. You might be surprised to here that just walking through the door made me smile. Ohhh, I can't wait to tell you why!

I work in a very old office. I even told you that we are located below an old IOOF Lodge. My office currently is and has been a law office for over 100 years. My boss joined the practice in the late '70's and inherited all the old books and furniture. Quite a bit of it is that old '70's style and not much to write home about.

There are however still some absolutely gorgeous pieces that have left me drooling for the past 8 years. Like this old library table....

Simply DIVINE!

Check out those gorgeous legs and that wonderful old patina! Sigh...they just don't make 'em like they used to.

I love this picture. Can't you just imagine 90 years ago there sat a determined old man named Milo just sitting in that chair at that very desk researching case law? I should mention that one of the original attorneys was actually named Milo! Love that name...love that table...love that chair.

Check out the old leather top. I tried to get a good picture, but the lighting, it just isn't so good in this old office.

You might wonder why I am choosing to show you this old table in this forlorn office. Well recently I came up for my 8 year review. Naturally, most folks would ask for a raise...not me. Oh no, I simply told my boss, I will forgo this raise and the next one if you will simply give me that table I keep asking for. Well, at first he was hesitant and said he would "reflect on it". It didn't take him long and when I came in yesterday he sat me down and said, and I quote "If you are that enamored with that old table that you are willing to go without a raise, it's yours." I literally jumped out of my chair and couldn't thank him enough. She is FINALLY mine. I have been pining for that table since the first day I walked into this old building.

Now if I could just get Mr. K to tear that darn wall down, so I have a dining room!

I would love to hear if ya think I'm crazy to give up a raise for furniture. Or better yet, what crazy wheelin and a dealin have you done to get that coveted item.

Halloween is in the Air

2010-09-30T14:35:00.000-05:00

Hello friends. I have spent the last few weeks soakin up the last of summers rays. Between football games and birthdays, so bloggin has been the last thing on my mind. Brandon's football team has won every game this year (insert loud cheers!) and next week we begin playoffs, we won the Superbowl two years ago and are really hopin to do it again...wish him luck.

I mentioned birthdays because this big boy celebrated the big O-N-E!

Yep, that's him trying to walk! The past few days, he has really "stepped it up" and is just about got it mastered. And ya wanna know how I feel about it.....

But seriously, I can hardly believe it has been a year already. I know it goes without saying, but time goes so very fast. Sigh....I also celebrated a birthday this month and it just amazes me that the years have gone by in the blink of an eye. Makes ya wanna stop the clock, just for a little bit and cherish every second with your family. My kids are the light of my life and I keep thinking of all the unfinished projects in the garage just beggin for my attention and then I look at my kids and they win. So, I devised a plan to accomplish two birds with one stone...Every year the two middletons get to decorate the porch for Halloween and thoroughly enjoy it. When those rubber totes come down from the attic, you should see their faces. I didn't get a chance to get pictures of them in action, because I was busy chasing a trying-hard-to-walk-baby! But I did snap some photos of their handy work! I'm sure they would love to know what you think.

A lot of items we have been buying each year on after-Halloween-clearance. My favorite things this year have to be the ominous bird cages. We found them this summer at a garage sale for $2 each and after a quick coat of black spray paint and the installation of a spooky raven, we had a very quick and cheap (the best part) addition to our Halloween decor.

Another cheap and easy project was spray painting some sticks we found in the yard black. It wasn't our intention at first, but we quickly realized we had a black and white theme going and we ran with it. So, we used the sticks to bring in a bit more black they thought we needed it.

Finally, we spray painted some el cheapo brass candle holders (yep those really cheap thrift store finds) black, tied them with ribbon and simply topped them with black candles for some haunting ambiance. Then it was just a matter of filling in with skeletons and snakes and spiders. I love my little helpers, although they would argue they are not so little anymore and thanks to Father Time, I think they're right.

I am so impressed by the great job they did. I would love to see what you have up your sleeve for Halloween, especially the cheap and easy projects!

Somethin's Cookin in the Kitchen

2010-09-24T16:06:00.000-05:00

Just poppin in to say, I am experiencing some serious kitchen envy lately.

Image via Pottery Barn

Image via My Home Ideas

I don't have the sources for pictures 2 and 4. If you do, please let me know. Hmmm...I've got a new kitchen island in the works and a couple of old Coca Cola crates in storage...I just may have to drag those babies out and brush off the dust.

Hope you all are enjoying these last few days of sunshine!

2010-09-08T10:16:00.000-05:00

Hello peeps....Just stopping by to let ya know what we've been up to here and checking in to see what you've been up to.

We have been having so much fun watching Brandon do this...

and Amanda do that....

We have been on a winning streak in football...haven't lost a single game. Brandon loves football and is lucky that he has the greatest coach. My son was born to play defense, but always talks about scoring just one touchdown. For the past four years, he has always played defensive linebacker and the coach says he needs him too much on the offensive line. He has begged for a chance to play fullback and run the ball. Last Saturday, we were winning by a wide enough margin and the coach was feeling generous enough that he put him in as fullback. On his fourth try, he ran for a 62 yard touchdown....needless to say there were tears of joy and much celebrating in our house this weekend.

Brandon's face...priceless....and the coach....need I say more???

As for my Amanda bear. she says softball is just not her thing and doesn't want to play next year! She's a dancer through and through. Her dance teacher says a ballerina even. Uh, ya well, she doesn't get that from me. Trust me...two left feet for sure. Softball, I can do, dance not so much. Well, it seems that my offspring is my polar opposite. Luckily, we finish the season off this weekend with tournaments on Saturday. Much to her relief and dare I say, delight!

At least it frees up the schedules a bit! Did I say free up....well, what I meant to say was...Mr. K tells me that we will FINALLY be able to start the dining room renovation next. (this is where I jump for joy) It is simply a matter of finding the time. Something that continues to elude us lately! It seems to be a recurring theme on this here blog, just where do I find the time.....

Anyway, just wondering what you folks are up to. Any fall decorating projects in the works? I would love to hear all about what your up to!

I'm Gettin Spring Fever!

2010-09-02T09:38:00.000-05:00

Hello friends...I bet I threw ya with that title, especially since I keep going on and on about fall and lots of other blogs are showcasing their fall decor. Well, I'm sure you all have seen this book....

and love it as much as I do.

Well, guess what is due out in Spring 2011....

See your thinkin Spring now too!

If you love Terry John Woods as much as I do, you can hop on over to his blog and read more.

What Makes a House a Home...An Armoire?

2010-08-30T14:29:00.001-05:00

Howdy folks. I can't even begin to apologize for my lapse in posts this summer. Life has kept me so busy, I haven't even touched a paint brush or a piece of fabric in weeks..and don't get me started on the garage sales and auctions I have missed. We're technically half way through the football season and have another win under our belts this week! Go Warriors!!

Of course, you know, as much as I love youth football, that is not why I came here today. Oh no. It is to ask the question....what makes a house a home? You know those familiar things you associate with home. Whether it's a certain smell or sound or even a favorite chair. What makes you feel welcome at the end of the day. Does your home make you smile when you walk through the door? Or are there times when you keep looking at something and saying to yourself...something is just...well....off!

For me, it's a combination of many things. Mostly, the sounds of the kids voices and Mr. K happily cooking away in "his" kitchen. Those are the familiar things that make me smile.

I welcome fall for so many reasons. The football. The cool crisp weather. The vibrant color of the leaves. And, of course, shorter days when you can curl up at the end of a very long day with a good bowl of soup and the company of your kiddos, who for a little while at least, are home.

My kids love chili and we really enjoy it when Mr. K tries a new one. So, if you have a to-die-for chili recipe...please comment and share it with me. We're always up for something new and I am really on the hunt for the very best vegetarian chili...if ya know of one!

Finally, what I really came here for today was my armoire. I have had it for years and the father of a friend made it for me. At the time, I was really into the look of stained pine, but not this stained pine.

.
**sorry, really cruddy picture

I mean, I had this in mind...

Image Country Living

But it's not what I got...and ya know, I'm just not feeling it!

But ya know what I am feeling????

Exhibit A....

From the very talented Ginger Barber

Exhibit B....

From the lovely Maria at Dreamy Whites

and Finally...

Exhibit C....

This one is the work of the super talented Holly at Life in the Fun Lane

As you can see, they are all equally gorgeous....drool worthy even. I just can't quite make up my mind. I know I want to paint it, but am struggling with that darn ADD and just can't quite make up my mind. I want to get it painted soon. That way, when I walk in the door this winter to find Mr. K happily waiting by the fire with a bowl of hot chili, I can breeze past that armoire....uh ya this is where I wake up and just say, I'm tired of it sticking out like a sore thumb and just want to paint it!

So my dear friends, don't be shy....give me your choice, A, B, or C! Oh, and don't forget the chili or soup recipe, it will be turning cooler soon and they will be much needed!. And if you don't have a recipe, at least let me know what makes you feel "home".

Enjoy what's left of the nice weather!

Great Giveaway Alert

2010-08-17T15:40:00.000-05:00

You may remember my friend Meredith from this post.

Well, you may want to click your way right on over to her blog for a chance to win the most awesome picture frame from Reclaimed Frame. If you want to enter, you can do so
here.

We Won and I'm Braggin!

2010-08-16T16:46:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to stop by and say hi. My favorite furniture handy-man, Brandon had his first game of the season this weekend and we WON! It was one of those, he's happy, mom's happy but mom also had to eat crow because, his team kicked the crappola out of my alma mater!

Oh well...he won...he won...he couldn't be happier and I couldn't be prouder!

Inspiration

2010-08-11T14:43:00.000-05:00

I've been absent lately. Football season is in full swing, we play our first game this Saturday. Which means I must break out the cowbell. Not only that, my daughter is currently playing softball, and what free time we do have is spent working on the two empty houses we are cleaning up and painting in order to re-rent...cause we must have that income! So, I promise I will be back soon with some new projects. And most importantly today is my son's 11th birthday. I cannot believe it has gone so fast. Happy Birthday Brandon!

Anyway, that means I haven't gotten much done on the home front projects, so I thought I would simply give you some beautiful eye candy. I believe all these are designed by the lovely and very talented Tricia Foley. Be prepared to drool.

Life Inspiration from a Beautiful Blog

2010-07-29T09:27:00.000-05:00

This post has absolutely nothing to do with decorating. It has to do with reading something that touches you deep in your soul. This blogger has it figured out. She is such an inspiration. She has faced challenges in life and overcome them with such grace. If you read her blog, you know what I mean. If not, you should. Her name is Kelle Hampton and she is incredible, not just at getting life, but as an added bonus, she is a phenomenal photographer.

She has a way with words like no other and she takes incredible pictures of her life and shares them with the world. From the moment I read this post, about the birth of Nella who was born with Downs Syndrome, I was hooked. Her posts recently reminded me just how incredible life really is.

So if you haven't visited her, it is the only non-decorating blog on my must read list...one of the save the best for last types. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do.

The Chair

2010-07-26T15:37:00.000-05:00

Do you remember way back when I bought that stool at auction? Well, that very same day, I bought this chair.

Ugly right? But for five bucks I figured I'd give upholstery a whirl. I've done my fair share of the quick and easy chair or stool project, but this was way more involved and I wasn't sure I could pull it off, but again, we're talkin about five bucks. So, I brought it home and have had it in the garage just waiting it's turn. Which, it turns out was my oldest daughter.

Yep, that one. The one with the oh, so bohemian personality. She loves all things eccentric and quirky. She took one look at that chair and decided it was hers. Well, I had been putting it off out of fear, but with her pushing me, I decided it's now or never. So a few weeks ago, I brought it in and decided to tear it apart. To say this was more labor intensive than I first imagined is an understatement. Did I mention I had NEVER tried this before? 'Cause I realized right away that this was going to be a challenge. And Mr. K's only comment was.."It looks like a dog got a hold of it."

I admit, it looked bad. Once I removed all the old fabric, we gave it two coats of high gloss white. I chose a fabric based upon what I thought she would like and since she is just starting out with furnishings, we could start anywhere. I did as all the instructions I read advised and I used the original pieces as a template. I removed the old buttons for the tufting and recovered them with fabric. In addition to that, I created a ruffle around each button (which is really hard to see in the pictures).

The hardest part was the tufting, simply because I was so intimidated. Once I got started, it was really a breeze. I'm sure that I did not use all proper upholstery techniques, but it turned out pretty good for my first time. At the last minute, my seamstress wasn't able to sew the cushion and with more sewing machine problems than I care to admit, I actually sewed the seat cushion by hand and it only took a couple hours from start to finish. I didn't use any piping and instead of a zipper I used velcro, but since you don't see it, I wasn't too worried.

I am so happy with how it turned out. I genuinely impressed myself and believe I will absolutely try it again. I actually have a similar chair in the garage and am chomping at the bit to get started. But, since football season starts tonight for my son and I serve on the board, I have other duties, so my projects will be a bit limited for the next couple months. I think I am the world's proudest football mom and he's only 10. I love it all, from the weather to the excitement each weekend in the stands. It is one of my favorite times of year. Ranks right up there with dance recitals and Christmas.

Speaking of favorite times of the year, what is yours? Do you love Spring and the newly awakened plants and animals? Or are you like me, awestruck by the colors and cooler temperatures of fall? I would love to know and while you're at it, tell me the most challenging project you have ever taken on and how it turned out. I would love to know.

My Copycat Bed

2010-07-23T10:53:00.000-05:00

Holy hotness. It was 82 degrees when I woke up this morning and with the heat index, it is expected to be above 105 today. I think, I'll spend plenty of time indoors today. You know it's hot when it's too hot to swim. At least that's what my kids are telling me.

Since, I'll be indoors, I am going to attempt to tell you about my version this bed.

As some of you guessed, it was made with an old door. It took me over three years to find one. I was driving down the road and saw a building being torn down and just happened to see a door I thought would be perfect. I shamelessly turned around and begged one of the guys to sell it to me. After checking with the owner, I handed over my money and loaded up my door. We live in a really small town and to this day, when I see him, he laughs about my door-turned-headboard. Ya see, a year or so later he happened to be helping a friend put up our pool and of course, I dragged him in the house to show off my bed. He probably thought I was a crackpot, but once he saw the bed, he was surprised to see what we had done and told me it was great, of course.

Before I show you mine, let's take a look back at what had me droolin in the first place shall we?

Obviously, we started with the door and then we were left with the adding the various moldings. That was the simple part. And believe it or not, I had found an old piece of tin crown molding and had initially planned on using it too, but unfortunately, it just wouldn't work when we tried to bend it over the sides. So we nixed that idea and I came up with the solution to use anagylpta wallpaper border. Now if you're familiar with the stuff, you know you can paint it. I found out, you can also distress it.

Like I said, I wasn't blogging then and for some reason didn't even think to take pictures of the process, but we simply took the picture to Lowe's and matched up the trim. I measured the wallpaper border and used a board that size underneath. I hate to say it was nothing more than gluing and nailing boards, but really that was it.

Here's a close up of the finished detail..

It is basically the same technique Layla used for her kitchen cabinets. We did apply the wallpaper under the molding to better hold it in place. Then I simply primed, painted, sanded and stained and she was finished.

I think the wallpaper worked out ok to mimic the detail of the tin.

There's

Mine

Obviously, I would have much rather had the tin, but since I couldn't find any that would work, I improvised and overall I am happy with how it turned out.

There's

Mine

I don't know why, but for some reason, these pictures have the worst color and the bed looks dirty, I have terrible lighting in my bedroom and wish for sure that we had more than one tiny window.

We never got around to making the footboard, so we simply hung the headboard on the wall. We did add "legs" to it because it is so heavy, but they are just there for support. Now the back side, she ain't so pretty, but I figured, since no one would be checking her out, I could live with that.

So there you have it, my copycat bed. And by now, you should know, I'm gonna ask...have you ever down right copied something you just love, but either couldn't or wouldn't pay full price for? And I'm dying to know how you think we did? Did we pull it off? This is one of my favorite projects. I get the most compliments on it and I swear I will never part with it. We finished it going on seven years ago and I am still in love. Every night, I still love to walk in my bedroom and see my bed. Not only does it offer me comfort, I am so proud that I actually helped make it myself. That is the very best part. Oh and I just have to throw in here...total cost...under $100! Compare that to the original price of over $3,000 and I sleep much better knowing I saved a ton of money by doing it myself.

Bed Post

2010-07-21T14:04:00.000-05:00

Don't ya just love it when you find something that makes your heart go pitter patter??? Well, that something for me was this bed.

I found this picture in the May 2001 issue of Better Homes and Gardens and I was smitten.

I immediately went to the resources section to find out where I could get one for myself. I was heartbroken to find out that the price tag was well over $3,000 and way beyond my budget. So, I devised a plan to make my own. I cut the article out and put it in my wallet. Would you believe I carried it around for the next 3 years searching for just the right pieces? I was determined to find the materials to make this bed on a much, much smaller budget.

I cannot use the term "inspired" by this bed. Oh no, inspired for me means to use the same general idea and put my own artistic touches on it. For this, I have to admit that I was shamelessly compelled to ~~obsess over it~~copy it. Unfortunately, I wasn't blogging at the time, so there are no photos, but I will be back soon with the basics and some pictures of my copycat version.

Time....Life....and Inspiration

2010-07-14T16:09:00.000-05:00

Hello friends. I have been a very bad blogger lately and that is because I have been so preoccupied with the realities of a busy life. If I could just have a few more hours a day or an extra day off each week. I say that as if it would be a solution. I would find so many ways to fill up that time. Oh and of course, I would still probably moan and groan about how it was still not enough.

We have been so busy with dance competitions, holidays and I can't forget, a sick baby. So between antibiotics and Tylenol and nonstop cuddling wit mama, he is finally feeling better. Poor guy, it was his first time being sick and he turns 10 months old today. Just in time to because our local county fair starts this week and there is nothing like a rural county fair. My kids look forward to the rides and the junk food every year.

courtesy of photobucket

Taking care of that sick baby forced me to spend much more time indoors. I realized just how much we need a dining room and not so much a dining room, but a bigger kitchen. When we bought our rambler, we cared more about the number of bedrooms than a place to eat. At the time, my oldest was still living at home and I was housing my 17 year old nephew. They have both left the nest so to speak. This leaves us with a surplus in bedrooms, but not enough room for a table and chairs. And that bedroom...it has no windows, (not a well planned addition behind said bedroom) a tiny closet, but it just so happens to be adjacent to the kitchen. Ya see where I'm going with this?

Yep, renovation. I have so many ideas swimming through my brain. I can't keep my mind off the dining room, or lack thereof. What makes it worse, this summer, I found a great oversize lantern at a garage sale that I am dying to use above my table in a dining room. I picture with a lovely beadboard ceiling, which I will have to paint because I will probably not be lucky enough to find enough of this to the entire ceiling. Sigh....keeps me dreaming, especially about lanterns over a table, kind of like this one....

home design

I sooo love this kitchen

Tell me you love the look as much as I do. I'm going to use your comments to motivate Mr. K to get to work on my bedroom-turned-dining-room. So, please help me out here. Tell him how lovely it would look..please oh please!

Alright, enough begging and pleading. I suppose since I rambled on and on about time today, I should probably get a move on or I will never be ready for my date with the kids for carnival rides and grease-laden-old-fashioned-fair-food. We always have a blast, so I'm looking forward to it.

I hope you're filling your summer with fun or at the very least, full of projects and plans that are constructive.

I'm on my way to funnel cakes and lemon shake-ups. I'll be sure to enjoy one for ya.

Red, White and Blue

2010-07-04T10:04:00.000-05:00

Happy Independence Day - I'm Proud to be an American Soldier Tribute(w/ lyrics)

2010-07-04T09:25:00.001-05:00

Happy Independence Day. I thank God everyday that I live in a nation where we are free.

Brandon's Next Project

2010-07-01T09:47:00.000-05:00

First and foremost, I cannot thank you all enough for the compliments you have taken the time to leave for Brandon. He worked really hard on his projects and can't wait to get busy on more. He is a lot like me, in that we must be busy. Boredom is not our thing. Time off of work for me involves working on projects. Which, by the way, with any luck will happen a lot this weekend because I am taking an extra long 5 day weekend! But, before I do that, I owe ya'll a post about Mr. Brandon's second project.

Again, the before photos of this little valet were in the batch of MIA before shots. Sorry. I picked it up at a garage sale and it too had been covered in some sort of ugly floral velvet and the previous owner attempted to give it an update with new fabric by haphazardly attaching it right over the velvet which made it look even worse. So Brandon set about removing all the staples and tacks from both pieces of fabric. We then cut a new piece from some vintage ticking fabric I found on ebay (I have an ebay addiction, I admit it) and it was simply a matter of him stapling the new fabric on and giving the wood a good cleaning with some Orange Glo.

I know it's a rather short post today, but I hope you enjoy Mr. Brandon's handy work. We didn't get too many pictures of the finished product, but you get the idea. I'm sure there will be more to share next week, because he already has his eyes on a chair in the garage. Can't wait to see what he does with the next one. I'm really enjoying having found another way to spend quality time with that boy. I think he will make quite a good husband and father somewhere way way way down the road. I'm in no hurry, I'm just sayin...Anyway, can't wait to hear what you folks think of this darling valet courtesy of one talented little fella, who has been telling me lately, "It's a Great Day to Be Alive". The weekend is almost here and I must agree, it is a great time to be alive. Something about the 4th of July being around the corner always makes me happy.

My 10 year old's furniture makeover

2010-06-30T05:00:00.010-05:00

Well, we've been busy in our neck of the woods lately. After the recent work on the bathroom ceiling, you would think we would be just to worn out to work on anything else.

Fortunately, I have some very wonderful children who are more than willing to help their mama. My son thinks he can fix anything and everything and always jumps at the opportunity to work on anything requiring tools, especially if it involves power tools (I'm talking about a sander, although, if you asked him, he would much rather use a table saw). And of course, us being do-it-yourselfers, we foster every opportunity for the kids to do-it-yourself too. I love the chance to bring out, well if you can refurbish furniture, you can clean your room? Mow the lawn? Course, with this man-child or is it child-man, I don't have to drag it out much because he is generally neat and orderly and willing to work on any task we give him. He truly is a blessing.

Anywho, on with the bragging....I went to an auction a few weeks ago and picked up a little bench that was in serious need of a makeover. I need to apologize here because for some reason, I lost my before pictures. Probably because I waited so long to get it done, but you can imagine. It had hunter green velvet with lovely cranberry flowers and was dark wood that had seen much better days.

It was a matter of taking it apart and removing dozens of tiny tacks. A pain in the rear for me, but an important task in the hands of a budding handyman. Meanwhile Mr. K primed and I followed up with white paint. I used spray paint this time because I wanted to get it done quicker. While the paint dried we added some batting to the cushion and my little man painstakingly stapled this vintage feed sack (courtesy of ebay) in place of the aforementioned floral cover.

Then with the help of Mr. K, he reattached the top, which was simply 4 screws. As soon as we flipped it over, I realized it needed just the tiniest bit of distressing. I was so impressed with his handiwork, I decided to give him another project, which I will give you a sneak peek of soon, but I couldn't resist showing you what his sister did as soon as he brought it in with hopes of staging it for a little photo shoot.

Yep, she actually pushed the coffee table out of the way so she could prop up her feet. I mean she was exhausted from watching us all work so hard this weekend. Here she is all complete after her makeover. I think she's darling and am resisting the urge to keep her and off to the booth she will likely go (if I can get my daughter to pick up her feet).

And as promised, here is your sneak peek at the next project recently completed by the handyman- in training.

Can't wait to hear what you guys think of his hard work. I really wanted to get some photos of him in action, but he just wouldn't hear of it. I am so pleased with his work, that I have hired him as my new assistant for revamping my thrifted furniture finds, so I'm hoping to convince him to let me snap a few pictures of him hard at work.

Don't be shy, I know you want to let the little fella know how good he did.

His name is Brandon and I'm sure he would love to read your feedback.

Bathroom Secret and a Cover Up

2010-06-28T13:54:00.000-05:00

Well, I thought I would try to find a clever way to start this story today, but I'm so tired from the work, that I've got nothin! Nothin, so I will just get on with it. You see, when I decided to share my bathroom reveal I neglected to show you one very important space in that room....the ceiling.

Lovely right? More like ya right. Which is exactly the reason I didn't show you?

Those are hideous heat lamps that did the job of providing warmth, but you were to blind from the light to enjoy it.

I have had plans to fix it for quite some time, but just never could find what I was looking for. That is until now. On a recent trip to the antique store, I found just enough of this...

to fix the ugly eyesore I call a ceiling.

It was at times, a very messy job.

We started by adding reclaimed firring strips to the ceiling, so we would have something to attach the beadboard to.

It was a slow process. Mr. K. had his doubts, he was less than pleased at times, because when you work with reclaimed lumber, it can be quite challenging since things don't always line up perfectly. Thank goodness he is so handy, and so willing to try to my ideas.

Mr. K did a pretty good job of cutting openings for the light and fan.

This project ended up taking about 8 hours from start to finish, but part of that time was removing the old exhaust fan and upgrading it to a quieter one with a timer (since the kiddos never remember to turn it off). That required Mr. K to make a few trips to the hot attic for some electrical work. He lovingly did it just to make me happy, or to make me shut up, he didn't really clarify that one for me.

Needless to say, our shoulders and arms are aching from being held over our heads for so long, but to hear Mr. K tell me when it was all said and done that it added so much character to the bathroom and he actually thought it was....awesome....sigh. What a great feeling.

I know you are all just dying to tell me what ya think, good or bad, especially since I had to lay on the bathroom floor to get the last two shots for ya. The least you could do is give me some feedback. Oh and before I forget, for those of you who are going to remind me of the lead paint issue. We are brushing on some poly and if and when we sell and move, we will properly prime and paint to avoid any issues. For now, I feel safe with the poly to keep it from peeling and chipping.

It's really hard to get a good shot of the whole room because it is the world's smallest bathroom, but I did the best I could and I didn't bother to fluff it up all pretty for you guys and gals. I will do that when I get the crown molding and the chandie up (if I can ever find the perfect one, wish me luck).

Summer Lovin

2010-06-25T22:55:00.000-05:00

I'm still awake in a house full of sleepy heads. Which of course led me to peek at my dream space file. I'm supposed to be searching for a mini chandie for the bathroom. Since I've had no success, I decided to sneak a peek at some other things to take my mind off of the search. It involves some old wood I found for $20 and a little elbow grease from the handy man of the house. But that is another story for another day. Hopefully a day very soon.

You see when we bought this rambler a.k.a. cottage, the yard was in a sad state and with the exception of planting a few lonely hostas around the mailbox, we haven't done much to make the yard an oasis. As it is, there is a very sad and dilapidated chainlink fence (which makes me want to cry) and the tiniest slab of concrete I've seen and the folks who owned it just didn't maintain some things that quite frankly should have been maintained. She's a little worse for the wear, but I like to think we are making progress and Mr. K and I are ok with a little hard work. We always look at it as a chance to make it our own. Unfortunately, while we may have the willingness to do the work, I am well aware that time and money are not going to allow a backyard makeover this year, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming about a place like this...

From the lighting to the ceiling to the chairs, I could go on and on, there is not one thing I don't just love about that space.

How about this beauty? That wood has the perfect patina and sculptural quality. It's outdoor art.

I'm really diggin the pea gravel here. I absolutely love the texture and the range of colors in the mix.

So tell me dear friends, do you have any yard work planned? I would love to hear about it. I can't remember where I found those beautiful pictures, so if you know, please let me know asap, so I can give credit where credit is due.

I can't help but dream about enjoying a space like any one of those. Since we are on the subject of dreaming, I suppose I should at least attempt some sleep, at least while the little one is fast asleep. Have a beautiful weekend. I hear it's gonna be a scorcher here...no rain in the forecast though.

June Showers Bring Lovely Flowers

2010-06-23T09:21:00.000-05:00

Well, yesterday I complained about the rain. And all that got me was...yep, you guessed it, more rain. An awful storm came through the night and it sounded like it was parked directly over Rosewood Street. I kept waking up because I swore I heard a freight train, which in the middle of the night during a storm, made me fear I was Dorothy and my house was going to be taken to Oz. Thankfully, we made it through without any Ruby Slippers or Wicked Witches.

I woke up groggy this morning, but at least I was greated by some lovelies I managed to pick from the yard before the storm blew through here. Let me tell ya, there is nothing like a couple of old jars full of these beauties to make the morning that much brighter.

Like all of you, I was taught April Showers that brought May Flowers. Apparently this year, each and every month seems to get wetter and wetter. I hope it at least be bringing a new crop of flowers. That is what I am telling myself anyway, so then, I can appreciate the rain.

While I'm on the subject of appreciating, my wonderfully talented dad sent this little item home with Mr. K yesterday. It's is a sneak peak cause it's not complete yet, but I just LOVE the wood he used to make it. As usual with that man, I gave him a very basic idea of what I wanted and this is what he came up with. Have I ever told you this man is a genius...and one who gets me? Can't get much better than that. I should have it done later this week. Can't wait to tell ya all about it!

Have a Great Day Folks!

Hallway Gallery

2010-06-21T20:57:00.001-05:00

Hello my blogland friends. How is life treating you in your neck of the woods? Here in the lovely Midwest it has been rain, rain and more rain. Since the skies have been dark and dreary, I have been working on some unfinished projects inside.

One of my very first posts was about some thrifted picture frames. Well, I finally got around to painting the frames, printing some pictures and hanging them up. I even found a couple I had in a closet that my dad had made a couple years ago, and they just happened to be white, so I added them in for some texture.

I used some recent pictures taken with mynew camera. I plan to switch some of the pictures out and still add maybe a couple more to balance it out. Overall, I couldn't be happier. I tried adding a couple items and some flowers to the bench, but that busy baby boy of mine decided he they would be his new toys, so I nixed that idea. Oh well, I'm enjoying the pulling-myself-up-to-everything-in-site phase, so I'm not complaining. He is even brave enough to let go here and there, so it won't be long and he'll be all over the place. Time is flying!

Well, I'm off to chase the little man. Let me know if ya like the look of the gallery wall.