Extending the Fireplace!

I wanted to figure out a cheap way to extend my fireplace...



To make it look like it extends all the way from the ceiling to the floor.



To do this was easy...



Even though I had to correct a mistake that I made!

A Tufted Beauty!

Meet the new stool in my life!

This one is full of charm, like most of them are, however, this one is tufted and oh so soft.

I first met this gal at a summer garage sale. She spoke to me when I passed her, but I paid little attention. I was on the hunt for something else.

Then, I looked down and saw her...

Chandelier Love

Do you have endless love for chandelier's that I have?





I adore so many different styles of chandy's that I just had to make a change!


The first vintage chandelier that I ever purchased was from ebay. I eventually talked my hubby into letting me take down the ceiling fan in the living room and replace it with this lovely old piece...

The REST of Winter decor

I have a lot of decor. That's what I love, that's what I do. After writing many posts on winter decor around the house, I have been left with even more lovelies to show you...

 Grab a cup of joe and relax...

Winter Door Decor!

One of my favorite things to do as my decor constantly changes, is to get out some of my decor that just seems to touch my heart.

Easy Monogram Shades

It is always a Great Thrill when I walk into a store and unexpectedly find a clearance sale that is too good to pass up.

As I was shopping Lowe's this past summer, I ran across a clearance table loaded with red and black chandelier shades and several colors of chandelier chain socks.  

Too Many Valances

I remember when I was 8 years old, and the fourth girl that my mom had in four years (that's one girl a year for 4 years straight with three in diapers!), when my mother announced that us girls had to make all our own clothes or go naked! Plus, we didn't wear jeans yet.

She meant it! Back then, we did not buy any of our clothes so going naked would have been our only option.

I didn't think at the time that it was a blessing. However, over the years (47 years that I have been sewing) it has really been a blessing.

Now, I buy all my clothes, alter them and hubby's because we are short, but I make all of my curtains and pillows...even if I don't need anything new. I just like doing it.

That brings us to my point of this post. My new valances.

Be My Valentine Giveaway!

This year, I decided to get out my hand painted jello mold tree that I normally only display during Christmas in my kitchen.




I removed any ornaments that looked Christmasy, then added red glass heart ornaments tied with black and white check ribbon. 




Now it's officially my "Be My Valentine Tree" as part of the limited amount of Valentine decor that I have.

Subway Tiled Back Splash...Finally!

I've been waiting patiently for

 10 1/2 years 

for a REAL back splash! 

Did I tell my hubby this?


Yes!


But then again, he loves our new back splash as much as I do.


And the wait was so worth it!

Dramatic Kitchen Make-over

I am beside myself with excitement to share with you my newly painted kitchen! I think the color change did amazing things to the look and feel if this space. Come on the journey with me.

My New Gray Dining Room

Why do I fall in love so easy? I'm talking about with decorating? Is it my calling? Or is it because it's just plain fun...and I like CHANGE! 

Trumeau Chalkboard ReVamp

The definition of

 a Trumeau Mirror 

tru·meau

[troo-moh; French try-moh] plural tru·meaux [-mohz; French -moh] 

a mirror having a painted or carved panel above or below the glass in the same frame.

 

Foyer Winter Mantel ~ 2013

We have four fireplace mantels in our home. One, (living room) was a wood burning that was converted into gas. One, (basement) is electric and two, (upstairs hall and foyer) are fake! Hubby and I built these last two and I have so much fun decorating them.

Winter Hutch ~ 109

It's back!  This decorated hutch!

Winter Buffet

It all started with this awesome runner! At $14.99 from TJ Maxx, how could I even begin to make this for that kind of inexpensive price? Thanks TJM for offering such fun items.

After putting away all the Christmas decor, I was happy to put together this new vignette on my buffet!

Sports Theme Nursery

I had the privilege of getting to decorate a close friends new baby boy nursery. This is her third child, so the white dresser/changing table, baby bed and glider rocker were already in place.  With tan walls, my only direction was that it needed to be sports theme in the color of red.

Baby It's Cold Outside Mantel ~ 2013

 Baby it's Cold outside! 

The low last night was 4 degrees! Wow, is that ever cold!

I am so NOT a cold weather person!

(Notice my cat in the picture)

However, I do like the change from the greens and reds of Christmas
 to the whites of winter!

Let's Talk Chalk - Beware!

 Let's talk chalk!

2013

The New Year!

A birdie told me to!

On a visit to our local




 Salvation Army store,




a little birdie told me





 to look up...

My "Best Of" 2012

I have selected 10 of my projects that were done in 2012 as my favorites because they are the most  beautiful or beneficial to our home and how we live. In no particular order...
1) New Hobby Garage

This was built by an excellent builder and friend. He put this up in 23 days and it looks like it has always been here connected to our 15 year old house! I use one bay as my space to paint furniture and do projects. Hubby uses his bay for a hobby pick up truck. We even have attic storage so furniture pieces and supplies can be stored out of sight and kept neat. A real dream come true for both of us. You can see more on this project HERE.
2) Mud Room

Snowy Snowball Urn

Yesterday we had our first snowfall of the season, and it put me in the mood for some kind of showy snowy decor.





Like a lot of people I know, my inspiration came from Pinterest! What did we ever do before Pinterest? I know that it certainly wasn't as easy to find inspiration as it is today. 



Anyway, my inspiration came from this...

Enjoy Your Christmas...

Putz House & Tie Skirt

Since all the decorating is done,

 I have been having a bit of fun. 

I have always wanted to make a cute little paper house. In doing research on them, I found out the name of these sweet houses are putz houses.



I googled them and came across a pattern to use. I used this pattern...

Christmas 2012 House Tour

Happy Holidays...please come in...

My 3 Chrismas 2012 Mantels plus 1

 Please enjoy viewing 3 of my Christmas Mantels

  

Plus 1 that I helped a friend decorate...

Hand Painted Christmas

My hand painted Christmas...

Painted red frame

Hand painted pitcher

My Take on A MacKenzie Childs Tree

I am thankful to be blog friends with Patti over at Pandora's Box.

She actually lives close to MacKenzie Childs farm and has even worked in their store this past year! Oh what a dream! Patti shared with me the actual tree that they had decorated in the store last year...

I think it is just 2-die-4 wonderful and whimsical. So this year I thought I would work even harder to replicate it than I did last year. I don't have even one thing that is an actual MC piece but have made plenty replicas of their items.

EAT Tray!

Such a fun piece.

This was an easy transformation. I took an old wooden tray with folding legs, placed vinyl letters on the top, then using Annie Sloan French Linen, just painted the top and sides of the tray.

Abandoned Tables Made New Again!

I have been beating the weather clock, so to speak! Colder weather is upon us here in Illinois and I have been trying to get any larger pieces of furniture painted, out in the new hobby garage, since it is not heated.

I received four oak tables that needed an update. A sofa table, an oval coffee table and two matching side end tables. They were dirty, abandoned and crying out for some love...

Meet Lacey!

See why I call this bookcase 'Lacey'? 

It has really pretty cut-outs that make it look that way to me.

The bookcase came to my door looking like this...

Blessings

Another MacKenzie-Childs look!

If you are a Courtly Check MacKenzie-Childs lover, then you are really going to like this!

Initially, I painted this tiny lamp...

 

I painted it to resemble one of MacKenzie-Childs' pieces.  Then one day, the on and off switch broke and after fixing it, It broke again.

Not pretty, but so Organized!

I crave order and I love to organize! The one room in my home that has been driving me nuts is, my storage room. This room is in the basement where I store clothing and holiday decor. It's a good size room but I have always had a problem trying to just stack my plastic tubs one on top of the other, so if I need something out of the lower tub, I have to unstack the whole thing. It's a hassle and makes the room messy. See what I mean...

The builder had put in two wire racks for hanging clothing, but I didn't have clothing to hang on this side of the room. Here's how I solved this problem. I researched free-standing shelving units and came upon this one...

Birds on a Wire!

I have a soft spot in my heart for birds.

 Do you too?




With that in mind, I painted a curvy end table to look a bit French and well, you'll see!

Meet Jax!

I have a friend that just had her third baby...a boy named Jax. He is beautiful as are his siblings. Jax has a five year old brother and a 3 year old sister. Every time my friend has had a baby, I go over about two weeks later to take new baby pictures for her birth announcements. I just have a normal digital camera that is not fancy so these pictures are very amateur, but I have so much fun taking them.

Fall Mesh Wreath & Stool Cover

Just a couple of things that I whipped up today...

 A Fall wreath made with a base of  green mesh.

Wool Pumpkin Tutorial

 It has been a while since I did a tutorial for you to enjoy...and even make if you wanted to. I also have been crazy over wool lately and decided to play with various kinds. Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the tutorial!

Materials that I used:

1 old wool sweater, washed and dried to felt or shrink

1 old plastic pumpkin, purchased at a thrift store

2 wool flowers, premade and purchased at JoAnn's, Optional

Jute

Burlap for leaves

1 dowel rod

Let's get started...

Three Tier Table Transformed

A new antique table has entered my life and invaded my living room! I fell in love with it upon first sight even though it didn't look it's best...

Two cool Tables!

Crazy story but true,

As hubby and I were on our way home from our daughter's new house across town, a guy was putting these two tables out on the street corner!

The curbside picker that I have known to be, had hubby stop and I asked what he was doing with them. He told me that he was moving and didn't have room for them and that I could have them. He even loaded them in the pickup!