Peeking thru The Sunflowers

Divine ruffles……..

2012-01-21T09:49:00.001-08:00

Remember when I posted this pic and said I might

need a shower curtain like this one?

I was so completely smitten with all those ruffles

and couldn’t get it out of my mind.

I searched all over the internet looking for a white shower

curtain with all that divine ruffley goodness!!!!!

Imagine my surprise when

I was browsing

Pottery Barn one day and found this one!!!!

They are new so if you need one too don’t waste any time.

Good things tend to not last long on their site.

To order one go here.

I can’t wait to get mine….hope it doesn’t take too long!

You know how impatient I am…..

I hate to wait…..

Beautiful kitchens…….

2012-01-20T09:18:00.001-08:00

DustyLu

Pinterest & For the love of a house

After seeing so many

beautiful kitchens on Pinterest I have decided

I need to freshen up my own kitchen! It has looked like

this for quite some time…….

Peeking Thru The Sunflowers

I’m off to rummage thru the house to see what I

can come up with!

So, what are your plans for the weekend?

Are you freshening up your nest?

Edited:

I had good intentions of “freshening” up my kitchen today. I took a plate out of the cabinet and dropped it……It broke into a zillion pieces so into the trash it went. Then I took a cute little sugar pot out of the cabinet and promptly dropped it too. The lid broke into three pieces and the knob broke off too. I managed to glue it all back together but decided I should leave the re-arranging for another day!!!!!!! Please tell me this happens to you too and that I am not alone?!?!?!?!

Tap, tap,tap…….

2012-01-12T17:54:00.001-08:00

That’s me…oh so patiently waiting to

move my

antique pharmacy cabinet

from the garage

where it has been for

the last 8 months into the bathroom.

However little details

such as painting

and installing the toity

are getting in the way!

*sigh*

Mine isn’t as fancy

shmancy

as these……. mine is from

Belgium,

from

the 1930’s?!?!?

French Kande

Restoration Hardware

Love this shower

curtain!!!! I might

need

one of these

for

our bathroom?!?!?

This mirror is

stunning….. I have a

Venetian

mirror

for my bath too but

mine

is much smaller

course! LOL

Okay,enough

day

dreaming…

back

painting!

Making progress…..

2012-01-09T07:28:00.001-08:00

Things are moving

along

on the hall bathroom

renovation.

All the bead board is up

and painted and

so is the molding

on two walls.

We got the sink installed

late last night too!

These two cuties make

things

difficult.

They tend to get into

lots of

trouble when

mommy

and

daddy

are busy working!!!!

Who can be mad

for too

long though

with a

face like this?

Have a great week

everyone!!!!

More pillows…..

2012-01-05T11:46:00.001-08:00

I decided I wanted a more

“fluffier”

look for the sofa the other day.

So, I made two pillows

with

ruffles for each side.

Then I decided I needed a smaller

pillow for the center

So I bought this cutie

from

Restoration Hardware.

I’m loving the fuller

“fluffier”

look for now!

Hope you are having

fabulous week!?!?!?

A little more paint…..

2012-01-01T20:51:00.001-08:00

I sort of feel like a madwoman painting

everything in

sight these days!!!

Or…….. maybe I’m just tired of seeing things

I love sitting around collecting dust because I never found the

perfect spot for them?!?!?!

With a little tweaking and a little re-arranging

I was able to fit several

things into my décor that

have

been stashed away.

This statue is one of those things……I bought it

a year ago thinking it would look

perfect in my dining room.

However it was a really

dark grey

color and just seemed odd and

out of place where ever I placed it.

It then spent the spring, then the summer ……

which led into the fall and then eventually

winter on the covered porch.

Today I brought it in

and decided

to paint it. It took five different colors

of paint and a lot of

determination

to achieve the look I was after

but

eventually I did get there.

I placed a little crown on her head….

What shall I paint next?!?!

My Christmas gifts……

2011-12-30T08:27:00.001-08:00

My darling husband gave me these

two pillows from

Restoration Hardware

for Christmas.

A little closer look…..

I added down pillow

inserts so they

would be super soft……

He also gave my this gorgeous Orchid

which has been blooming ever

since! The pot it came in

was decorated for the holidays so I put it

in this one which is from Wisteria.

I have had this candle holder for at least a year….

possibly even longer?!?! I originally purchased it because

I loved the shape…… but not the color.

I always planned on painting it but just never got around to it.

Finally a couple of days ago I decided it was time I

transformed it from the dark grey

color to something lighter.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year….

may all your dreams

come true!!!!!

Naked house= changes!

2011-12-28T09:22:00.001-08:00

Now

that the Christmas

decorations have been

taken

down and packed away

until

next year the house

seems

a little bare.

This of course means re-arranging

and

tweaking vignettes

which

is a necessity in a decorholics

world!!!!

I recently bought

two

of these

old chippy

corbels salvaged from a

house in New York.

The seller had a unique way of

measuring

them and describing

the color in the listing.

When they arrived they were

certainly not the size I

had expected and they were

really,really

ugly tan color.

At first I was going to

use

them

in another room but

the color wasn’t really

going to work in that room either….

or any room of the house for that matter.

I really debated what to do

and finally decided to just

paint them. *gasp*

Yes, I know all you purists

are probably thinking

I am absolutely crazy!

I mixed together a concoction

of what I refer to

dirty paint and painted

the new color on with a detail

paint brush.

It took a little time

but in the end they were just as

envisioned!

The crackled

and

chippy paint is wonderful!

I also like that some of the paint

and part of the corbel

missing all

together….

two things that can only

achieved over time……..

I added these little zinc sap

buckets to the

vignette

for a little variety of color

and

texture…

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas?!?!?

ANY

big plans for New Year’s Eve?

Stuck on you!

2011-12-27T18:20:00.001-08:00

Here is Mr. Handyman holding

Teddy…….

after he picked him up he noticed

Teddy had something stuck to the bottom of his foot!

Upon further inspection it was determined

it was a manufacturer sticker off

one of the dining room chairs.

Believe it or not it was really stuck on

and pulled some of his hair out when I removed it.

I actually left a couple of tiny pieces

stuck to the pad of his paw because I was afraid

it would pull the skin off!

He wasn’t phased in the least bit and

would have probably kept walking

around with it stuck to

the bottom of his foot………..

Silly dog!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T21:02:00.001-08:00

Wishing

you

and

your family

very

Merry Christmas

a Happy New Year!!!!

Love,

Derek & Des,

Teddy,Simon

Judy too!

Christmas card display ideas……..

2011-12-18T09:02:00.001-08:00

I’m sure by now the Christmas cards are piling up?!?

The question is how do you display them in a way so that everyone can enjoy them?

I came across these clever ideas on Pinterest and thought I would share them……..

I absolutely love them hung inside this gold frame!

This is my favorite idea and one I plan on using next year.

Since we are still in the middle of renovating the upstairs I wasn’t able to decorate our baluster this year.

The Christmas shopping is finally all done.

Now it is on to the baking!

Have a great week everyone!!!!

All wrapped up…..

2011-12-15T09:17:00.001-08:00

Are you ready?

I still have lots of shopping left to do!

Time seems to have really slipped away from me this year…

A little shine…

A little greenery and twine…..

Hope you are having a great week!

Paula Deen’s magical peanut butter cookies

2011-12-12T17:12:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
1 1/3 cups sugar (recommended: Splenda)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet.

In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, 1 cup sugar replacement, the egg, and vanilla, and stir well with a spoon. Roll the dough into balls the size of walnuts. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. With a fork, dipped in sugar replacement to prevent sticking, press a crisscross design on each cookie. Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven, and sprinkle the cookies with some of the remaining sugar replacement. Cool slightly before removing from pan.

These are so easy to make……. and insanely delicious!

The stockings are hung……..

2011-12-06T08:47:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2011

Wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year! May all your dreams and wishes come true…..

Paper white progress…….

2011-12-05T19:20:00.001-08:00

Can you believe how much they have grown in just a week?!?!?! Looks like we will have blooms very soon! I added a few mini silver ornaments yesterday to bling it up a little. A girl can never have too much bling you know……..

Today was really overcast and dreary……and very cold! The sun peeked out for just a moment and I managed to snap this one.

A little sneak peek……

2011-12-04T19:47:00.001-08:00

Have the Christmas elves been busy at your house too? Can’t wait to see…….

Paper whites progress……..

2011-11-29T08:09:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago I planted some Paper whites in a pot. It was a kit I picked up at Lowes while picking up more supplies for the never ending bathroom renovation that we are still working on. It is amazing how much they grow every day…..it is like magic!

So, how are your Paper whites growing? Do you have blooms yet?

Have a great week!!!!!!

A touch of paint…..

2011-11-26T14:13:00.001-08:00

The downstairs bath room was one of the first rooms we renovated after buying the cottage eight years ago. At the time the bathroom had a whirlpool tub,shower stall,a toilet, and two single sink vanities. Nothing was salvageable…..even the whirlpool tub had a crack! So, we gutted the entire space down to the studs and installed a new pedestal sink, toilet, and an antique claw foot tub with brass shower surround. The brass fixtures didn’t hold up well so a while back we installed new chrome fixtures. Somehow I never got around to getting new light fixtures to match. It was on the list but you know how that is!!!! Today I decided to just paint the antique brass crystal chandelier!!! I figured if it turned out hideous I wouldn't be out much since I had originally planned on replacing it anyways. Much to my surprise though it turned out absolutely darling!

Before:

after:

It was a quick project…..all I did was brush white paint on right over the brass. I wanted sort of a shabby chic look so I didn’t worry about it covering every little nook and cranny. I didn’t even take it down….I did it all while standing on a ladder! It took about an hour………

Have a great weekend!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T15:05:00.001-08:00

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

Love,

Derek,Des & the fur babies!

The paint colors & technique for the armoire….

2011-11-19T09:09:00.001-08:00

When people find out I painted the armoire in the living room the first question they ask is,”What color did you use?” The second question is usually,”How long did it take?” So, today I will answer those questions.

The armoire was a Craig’s List purchase for $600 and it is made out of teak wood.

How the armoire looked before:

And how it looks today:

Here you can see how detailed it is.

First the armoire was lightly sanded then a coat of primer was applied. Next a custom color of grey I mixed up using paint I had on hand was applied. Sherwin Williams 7640 Fawn Brindle in satin is a very close match if you don’t want to mix up your own color. After the base coat was dry I touched up a few places. I then dry brushed white paint I had on hand over the entire piece using a wet paper towel to wipe off any places that I felt the paint was applied too heavily. After it was dry I then used an artist brush to apply Burnt Umber craft paint in all the nooks and crannies. I did not apply any kind of finish over the top of the paint which is something I should probably do…… I would recommend a paste wax. The entire project took 8 hours to complete…………

I also wanted to send out a big,big thank you to all of those who took the time to comment on the open house party…….. I really truly appreciate it!!!!!!!!! It was so much fun to read all the comments.

Have a great weekend!!!!!!

Ps. I do not claim to be an expert and this is probably not the best way to paint a piece of furniture….it just works for me.

Our home featured in BH&G Christmas Ideas……

2011-11-14T07:10:00.000-08:00

If you missed us in last year’s Midwest Living Christmas issue then you can see our home featured this year in BH&G Christmas Ideas! I’ve also included some photos not seen in the article so sit back and enjoy the tour!

photography by: Greg Scheidemann

Had to include a few photo’s of the babies too!

Happy Holidays!

Switching things up a little….

2011-11-12T10:29:00.001-08:00

I decided to switch tables behind the settee for a lighter look. Switching the tables was the easy part…..coming up with the perfect paint color….not so much! You see the second table was already painted in a beautiful grey color but when the table was placed behind the settee it didn’t look so great in real life although it photographed beautifully. So, I spent days, (yes you read that correctly) tweaking the color to come up with the final result. Midway thru the project I was ready to give up but being the stubborn person that I am I was determined to find that perfect color and persevered.

Here is the original table:

The second table:

Have a great weekend!!!!!

Crackle and chippy becomes a new design element…..

2011-11-04T08:35:00.001-07:00

My new obsession lately seems to be anything with crackled or chippy paint?!?!? I recently picked up this capital to add to the vignette on the French baker’s table in the dining room. It is just the perfect size……

Fall has definitely arrived here and the mornings have a definite nip to them now!!! The leaves are changing….mother nature never disappoints!

Have a great weekend!!!!!

A little chippy goodness……..

2011-11-01T09:17:00.001-07:00

With the weather turning cooler outside it was time to bring the planters in for the season. This urn was starting to deteriorate so I decided to retire it from it’s outdoor duties and bring it inside the house.

A couple of books stacked on top= instant vignette! It looks so beautiful with the sunlight streaming thru the window…….

Have a great week!!!!

More demo…..

2011-10-23T14:11:00.001-07:00

Looking into the old laundry closet…..

I wasn’t able to find a pic of the old laundry closet before demo began…probably because it was never much to really look at. It was actually an itty bitty bathroom that we converted into the laundry closet. It was just barely big enough to turn around in…..

Looking at the old cubby that was above the laundry room closet…….

Looking in from bathroom doorway…….

Exhausted but still at it! Don’t you love the toilet sitting in the hallway? What your house doesn’t look like this?

I keep telling myself how beautiful it will be when all done! LOL….

Have a great week!!!

The little old shoe…..

2011-10-19T16:22:00.001-07:00

This weekend while cleaning out the closet above the old laundry room we came across a box of stuff we had stored away after moving into this house eight years ago. We also found a box of old photo albums…… and lots of old left over paint!!!! This little shoe was one of the treasures we found in that box of stored stuff.

It is just so darn cute…I love the little button!

The little bird’s nest was found on our property after a bad wind storm. The square nail was found in our house while doing some restoration work………

The platter was found at an antique shop many years ago while on vacation.

Hope you are having a great week!!!!

Things are coming along…..

2011-10-15T20:27:00.001-07:00

Our new washer and dryer arrived!!!!

I know the laundry room isn’t anything fabulous….. and not really pretty either but we are pretty darn excited!!!! We had a Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer for 8 years and while we never had any problems with the units they never got our heavily soiled clothes clean either. In the end we decided to go old school and bought Speed Queen units.

We will be adding open shelves on the right side of the cabinets. I am working on painting the doors right now. These cabinets were left over from our kitchen renovation……

More to come……soon!

No pretty pictures yet…..

2011-10-10T08:36:00.001-07:00

This is how I feel today….completely wiped out! We have put up lots of trim, installed the new wood floor, and painted like a zillion feet of wood but still no pretty pictures to share yet. Hope to have something to share soon though…….

Have a great week!!!!!

Goodbye my beautiful tree…..

2011-10-03T14:57:00.001-07:00

This was my view out the living room this morning before my beautiful tree was taken down. As you can see she lost her beauty after the power company cut her completely in half!!!!!!!! The stress of having so much of her beauty removed all at one time was more than she could take……..

Here is how she looked before her deadly trim. Funny, she doesn’t really look that big in this pic but trust me she was a big girl!

Now she is nothing more than a pile of wood on the lawn which makes me so sad. We plan on planting an ornamental tree to replace her…….we won’t be planting it near the power line though!

Have a great week!!!!!!

The not so glamorous pics of the laundry room….

2011-09-29T07:58:00.001-07:00

It is coming along although it doesn’t look like much at this point!

Have a GREAT weekend!!!

More beads…..

2011-09-21T09:10:00.001-07:00

My ~~obsession~~ collection of rosary beads is still growing thanks to my friend Artie who sent me these! I love the sparkly they add to this candle stick………

So, how is your week going so far? Hard to believe it is Wednesday already!?!?!?! We are making great progress on the laundry room and if things go well we should be hanging dry wall this weekend! WooHoo!!!!

Unpredictable weather…..

2011-09-18T16:58:00.001-07:00

Today we had to run to Lowes to pick up a few things for the wiring in the laundry room. As we drove along I saw a funnel cloud in the sky. I pointed it out to Mr. D and he quickly said it was just a funny looking cloud not a tornado. As we drove along I could see the tip of the funnel start to come out of the sky and get closer and closer to the ground. Finally Mr. D agreed it WAS indeed a tornado! We pulled over and I took this pic with my cell phone which is why it isn’t the best quality. Several other cars pulled over too to take pics. It was quite the site! Right after this pic was taken the funnel went back up into the sky………..

Wishing you all a fabulous week!

Spoiled rotten or well loved……you decide!

2011-09-17T14:11:00.001-07:00

Around here we call it well loved……of course why would God make kids and fur babies so darn cute if they weren’t suppose to be spoiled rotten?

Teddy thought his bed should match the big bed…….

I think he might be right….it does look much nicer!?!?!?

It’s nap time and I’m getting,”The Look”….you know the one that says quit bugging me already…….

Wishing you a totally fabulous weekend!!!!!!!

A touch of toile…..

2011-09-14T17:52:00.001-07:00

I recently decided to lighten up the downstairs powder room.

Since I couldn’t find a toile fabric that I really loved I bought the Matine toile shower curtain from Pottery Barn to make a skirt for the pedestal sink.

I just love this little shaving mirror…rust and all! I picked it up years ago at an auction…….

The view when walking down the little hall from the kitchen…….

Simon wanted to sneak in here and say,”Hi”. Isn’t he a handsome little fella?

The mirror hanging over the glass shelf was the second antique I ever purchased……it is from an estate sale. I love that it is a little cloudy and has imperfections….

Hope you are having a great week!!!!!!!! We are having beautiful fall weather…can’t beat that!

Joining Kim @ Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesday….

Small changes….

2011-09-12T04:47:00.000-07:00

I recently decided to change the way I hang my ironstone plates and platters. For years I used those gold little wiry thingy's which worked just fine until one day I came across a blog that showed how to use v-hooks and epoxy on the back and I was instantly intrigued!!! I had to see for myself if this method really worked. So, off to the hardware store I went for my supplies. At first I only did a few plates to see if they would come crashing down in the middle of the night. After a few weeks I decided it was indeed safe and decided to do the rest of my ironstone collection. I don’t recommend this if you have really expensive plates since this is a permanent application. However my collection is compiled of garage sale finds mostly and none of them cost more than a few dollars with the exception of one platter.

Here is a before pic…if you look closely you can barely see the gold wire hangers.

The after

These are my oldest plates…..I have had them for many years. I started collecting ironstone long before it was ever popular. I love the way they are different colors…. and the more imperfections they have the more I love them!

Please excuse our messy mudroom…..the blind on the door also broke and fell off this week. It’s been one of those weeks…….

Hope you are having a fabulous weekend!?!?!?!

2011-09-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

In remembrance of those who lost their lives ten years ago today on September 11,2001…..and thank you to the heroes who gave so much……….

WE WILL NEVER FORGET.

The prints are finally hung….

2011-09-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was finally able to get the mat cut for the last antique egg print. I noticed when putting it in the frame that there was a spot on the glass but didn’t think much of it. Of course once I got it all together and started to clean the glass I realized the glass was cracked! I guess I need to make a trip to the glass store now huh?

I also got the other table cloth made for the skirted table so now there are matching tables on each side of the bed. Much better I think than the mismatched ones I had before? I still need to get glass tops for the tables…..

I bought the fur babies a fancy dog bed for the living room so I moved this chair to the guest room. It is a better size than the one I had there before.

Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!

The last Lily bloom of the season…..

2011-09-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

So pretty, I think pink is the prettiest color……..

As you can see our little piglets are getting quite big now!

Hope you are having a great week!!!!!!

The last phase of the renovation has begun…..

2011-09-04T09:23:00.001-07:00

You know that old saying….sometimes it has to get a lot worse before it can get any better? Apparently that applies to renovations. As you can see it isn’t looking too pretty right about now!

The resident handy man hard at work………

And of course the trusty assistant………

Hmmm….I really need to get that French bottle out of the window before it gets broken!

The plan:

Originally when we bought the house it was a B&B with four bedrooms upstairs. Two of the bedrooms had an attached bath and two shared a very tiny hall bath. Eventually we tore the tiny hall bath out and combined two baths to make one average size master bathroom. One of the bedrooms which was the smallest was turned into the hall bath and the attached bath for that bedroom was made into a laundry closet. The last phase of the renovation upstairs is to divide the current hall bath into two separate spaces making one half the laundry room and the other half a hall bathroom. The present laundry closet will be torn out. That’s the plan….we’ll see how it goes! If you are an owner of an old house then you know oh so well that things NEVER go as planned and you just have to roll with it!!!!!

Have a great week!

TGIF!!!

2011-08-26T08:08:00.001-07:00

Just “hoppin” by to wish you all a fabulous weekend!!!!!

This is the smaller bullfrog that has taken up residency in our Koi pond. The grandpoopa bullfrog which was once this size is now the size of……… a softball!!!!

Have a great weekend!!!!!!

Happy Birthday!

2011-08-25T09:12:00.001-07:00

Today is Teddy’s 13th birthday…..the big 1-3. My how times flies……I remember the day I went and picked him up like it was yesterday. He was the last puppy from the litter of only three. His mommy was absolutely beautiful and so petite. As Teddy came sauntering out with the owner’s little boy I was instantly smitten. The cute little fur ball had so much personality already and literally fit in the palm of my hand!!!! There was no question as to whether he was coming home with me that night as I was instantly in love. He rode all the way home on my lap and has been my cuddle buddy ever since…….

Simon was adopted when he was six months old. His owner was moving into an apartment and couldn’t take him with her. She was suppose to send us his papers but never did so we don’t know when his birthday is exactly but we know it is also in August. He is also the big 1-3!!!! Happy Birthday my sweet baby!!!!!!!!

I remember the day we picked Simon up.He was a complete ball of fur and had never had a hair cut. He is Mr. Personality….everyone is his friend!!! Full of curiosity he is always by my side and ready for anything!!!!!!

Happy Birthday my sweet boys!!!!!!

Eight years…..

2011-08-23T08:09:00.001-07:00

Today is the anniversary of when we purchased our cottage eight years ago! This is how the house looked when we first bought it. The Ivy was gorgeous but was so invasive it was growing thru the walls and into the house….so the first thing we did was remove all of it. Eight years later we are still trying to get rid of it.

This is not a current picture….our yard looks a little sad at the moment since we have had extreme heat this summer and very little rain. Here the soffits have been wrapped in steel because we had wood boring bees. We were told the only way to get rid of the wood boring bees was to get rid of the wood. The porch has also been painted and a new roof was put on. The roof was so bad we were told the house was uninsurable unless we had a new roof put on.

The kitchen is small but cute….we thought we could work with the cabinets. However when I went to unpack my dishes and put them away the doors literally fell off the cabinets! We ended up installing cheap cabinets and then did a complete gut job two years ago……

This is how the kitchen looks today………

The dining room when we bought the house. Funny, I don’t remember that light……..

The indoor/outdoor carpet was removed only to expose the original floors that were in really bad shape that had to be recovered up. We had to pull the floor up completely between the living room and dining room to add supports. Reclaimed maple flooring salvaged from a gymnasium in Kansas was installed and refinished thru out the first floor.

For some reason I have no pictures of the living room except for this one. Probably because it was so hideous…….just kidding…..sort of!

We took the wall out and added this double doorway making the living room one big room. This small room served as a bedroom, an office, and a catch all room during the eight years we have lived here. Taking the wall out four years ago and making it part of the living room was the best decision I ever made.

The guest bedroom…..we actually bought this bed with the house but eventually sold it because it was a three quarter size. It was so short that even my feet touched the end! The second floor had the same purty indoor/outdoor carpeting as the first floor. Luckily the original floors were in better shape than the first floor and we were able to refinish them and save them……

When we bought the house none of the bedrooms had closets. During the renovation we are currently working on closets were added to all of the bedrooms along with insulation,drywall, and new wiring.

I won’t bore you all with any more pictures since you have seen them all like a zillion times.

The eight years we have lived here have been very interesting to say the least…..I wish I could say the house is completely done but we are still working on the upstairs. We hope to have it done in the next few months though. We have done a little work on the yard but it really needs a complete overhaul. It’s always something isn’t it? Thanks for following us along on this journey……….

The story of the bottles…..

2011-08-19T07:35:00.001-07:00

Many years ago while at an auction we used to visit weekly I spotted a box of old bottles. Most of the bottles were nothing special but these three were tucked in with the rest. The minute I saw them I knew I just had to have them! Once the bidding started I noticed it was just me and another woman bidding……..In the end I won the box of bottles. A while later the lady approached me and asked what I planned to do with so many bottles. I explained that I collected old bottles and thought they would make a nice addition to my collection. As it turns out she wasn’t really interested in the bottles after all. What she really wanted was the old stopper to a decanter that was in the bottom of the box so I gave it to her……...and then there were two very happy women!

Have a great weekend!!!!

My version of a trumeau mirror………

2011-08-14T07:03:00.001-07:00

The result of what you get when you have some old plywood laying around the garage, then add in an old junky mirror with outdated frame removed, throw in some molding and an applique…….then top off with a dabble of paint of course!

A big thank you to my friend Artie at Color Outside The Lines who is always a huge inspiration!!!! Be sure to check him out……you will be absolutely amazed!

Have a great week!!!

What is it?

2011-08-11T11:05:00.001-07:00

Calling all gardening experts!!!!!! I have this vine growing in my yard and I have no idea what so ever what it is!!!!!!! At first it was just behind the rose bush but I have noticed little starts popping up in the yard now. Every year it comes back and then in August it gets these tiny little white blooms that are very fragrant. Yesterday I cut a few starts to propagate since I seem to kill everything else…… and this seems to be pretty hardy?!?!?! Any idea what it is?

If it is a weed, it sure is a pretty one…..and it smells heavenly!!!

Edited to add: Looks like Sue is correct…....it is indeed Autumn Clematis! Unfortunately it is considered to be an invasive vine! Just what everyone needs in their garden right?!?!?! LOL

Embracing a dark and gloomy Monday……..

2011-08-08T08:46:00.001-07:00

We haven’t had rain in weeks…..lately the storms roll right by our house laughing at the crunchy brown grass in our yard and bald trees. Today, it is raining…..really raining! I have never been happier to see such a gloomy day! The fur babies are napping and I’m doing laundry…………

Life is good!

Bargain alert…..

2011-07-28T06:29:00.001-07:00

Kim over at Savvy Southern Style showed the new furniture arrangement in her great room the other day. She mentioned she got this fabulous lamp at Target for less than $40 and I knew I had to have one for my living room! I have been looking at similar lamps for months but since I am still decorating the bedrooms upstairs I really hated to spend any more money on the living room. However at that price plus a $5 gift card I already had……

While the lamp is certainly not heirloom quality it is cute!

Now the question is: do I need another for the other side of the sofa?

Beautiful, beautiful roses…..

2011-07-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

Who knew you could find such beautiful roses at the grocery store…..2 dozen for only $9.99! Can’t beat that!

The last chair is finally here!

2011-07-22T14:27:00.001-07:00

After months of waiting the last chair has finally arrived! Now the living room is complete….for now anyways! I know everyone is probably sick of seeing pics of the living room so I promise no more for a while.

The chair looks so perfect paired with the settee, it was worth the wait!

Overall view of the living room when looking from the dining room…….

Have a great weekend!!!!! I plan on staying indoors in the A/C!!!!!!

Books,books, and more books!

2011-07-18T18:23:00.001-07:00

Books have always been a staple in my decorating….lately though I am really loving the look of bundled books! There is just something so appealing about the books with the spines exposed…..they just add so much texture!

Not all the books have the covers removed….some are bound in gorgeous leather!

And some are just for decorative purposes because they are so pretty!

This book was my latest find…..it is a small pocket hymnal! I do not recognize a single song though!

All of the bundled books were found with their covers already removed or the covers were in very poor condition. So, no books were harmed…………

A mini makeover on a bench…….

2011-07-15T09:20:00.001-07:00

Several months ago I bought this bench for the guest bedroom from Ballard Designs. The room seemed to come together at a snail’s pace…every thing seems to be on back order these days! Finally when the cushion arrived it didn’t look so good with the current paint color of the bench which was an antique white.

I know I have a better picture of the bench somewhere but can’t seem to find it right now so this one will have to do I guess?!?!?!

The after…..as in after 4 cans of spray paint! I’m not sure why the bench didn’t seem to want to take the paint but it didn’t cover well at all and took several coats. Industrial spray paint that the resident handyman had on hand seemed to do the trick though! After it dried I did a very light sanding to distress the bench. To be honest at that point I was really over the project and just wanted it to be done.

The overall…..

I’m still looking for a new light fixture….it’s always something isn’t it?

Have a great weekend everyone!!!!!!!!

A little pillow fluffing……

2011-07-12T14:08:00.001-07:00

If you have been reading my blog for longer than say 5 minutes then you already know how obsessed I am with…..pillows! They are everywhere in our house and of course you can never have too many pillows!!! So, you see the other day as I was browsing my favorite store and came across fur pillows on sale I thought ohhhhh I need a couple of those! Then I remembered I already have a fur pillow in the den. Hmmm….the fur pillow in the den looks really great on the sofa in there but the reality is it is never really on the sofa!!! The dogs either lay on the pillows and squish them into pancakes or knock them off so they can park their little bodies where the pillows once were! Naturally I had to try the fur pillow on the sofa in the living room and it looks….. fabulous! I just love it in there……

I might still buy that fur pillow I saw the other day…..for a chair on the other side of the living room! You know, to tie it all together ;o)

The dining room……the 3.o version

2011-07-08T14:24:00.001-07:00

Looking directly into the dining room from the living room……..

Looking towards the kitchen…….

A new arrangement for the Vasselier……….

Another view…….

A shot of the living room….just because!

Just one more of the living room before we say goodbye! Have a fabulous weekend!!!!!!

New shades…..

2011-07-05T15:18:00.001-07:00

Several years ago when I bought the shades for the downstairs I picked a color that coordinated with the color of the floors. When we renovated the kitchen we refinished all the hardwood floors on the first level to a dark cherry color and the shades no longer matched. Buying new shades was on my list of the things to do but with so many other things that were more important it sort of fell to the bottom of the list. Then last week the strings on one of the shades broke. I knew they were getting worn but was really hoping to get by just a little longer, at least until the renovations upstairs were all done. So, I had to make a decision…….buy 1 replacement shade to match all the rest or just go ahead and replace them all. After poking around the internet I found these shades at JC Penney's…. on sale!!!

This pic shows the old furniture and old wall color…………….

Here is the new shade….. and new wall color! One lonely piece of the old furniture remains until the new chair to take it’s place arrives that is currently on back order.

Happy Birthday America!

2011-07-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all a happy and safe 4th of July!

The first bloom of the season!

2011-07-02T10:16:00.001-07:00

It appears to be a late bloomer…….and oh so beautiful!

A little chair makeover…..

2011-06-30T12:08:00.001-07:00

I picked a set of these chairs up a couple of years ago thinking I would use them with my dining room table. However they just didn’t look good with my French antique chairs. So, off to storage they went. I recently dug them out and gave them a mini face lift. Here is the before:

And here is the after…….Now they are off to the consignment shop to find a new home!

Hope you are having a FABULOUS week?!?!? Are you ready for the holiday weekend? It is going to be super hot here…………

The guest bedroom reveal…..

2011-06-28T18:51:00.001-07:00

After almost a year of blood,sweat, and tears the guest bedroom is FINALLY ready for guests! The renovations included: removing a doorway,adding a closet,re-wiring,and framing out the walls to add insulation and drywall,new paint,bedding, and custom window treatments.

Here you can see where we bumped out the walls to add the closet. Not my favorite option but sometimes function is more important than beauty!

Poofy custom made pillows to add a touch of luxury!

The Craig’s List footstool looks so cute next to the high bed……

You would think after eight years of living without a single closet in the house that I would have this one already filled with clothes huh? No, it is full of TOOLS of course since we are still not done with the renovations on the second floor yet.

A little touch of sparkly glamour for the small bedroom….

Hope you enjoyed the tour! Now I need to get busy and finish the master bedroom!

Beautiful blooms…………

2011-06-26T09:57:00.001-07:00

Now that summer has arrived, everything is just bursting with color!!!!

DIY coffee table……..

2011-06-24T08:08:00.001-07:00

I’m sure I am not the only one totally in love with this table from Restoration Hardware. However the price tag didn’t really fit into my budget after buying new living room furniture! So, what’s a girl to do? Beg the resident handyman to build her one of course!

Luckily the resident handyman loves to build me things! It took him only one day to whip this up…..incredible huh?

I had to keep reminding him that I didn’t need it to be perfect….it was suppose to look old and have flaws. The top was made using weathered wood that had been exposed to the elements……

A closer look at the top…….

The entire table was sprayed with a clear poly to protect the floor and furnishings so that the rust wouldn’t rub off on anything.

If you aren’t lucky enough to have a resident handyman who can build it,you can order one from: Restoration Hardware

Have a great weekend!

A visitor in the garden

2011-06-23T16:23:00.001-07:00

Today while out in the garden I noticed this fellow hanging about…..in a rose bush! You would think the thorns from the rose bush would have been too prickly but he slithered his way up to the very top! Thankfully he only hung out for a little while and then moved on………..

A little lamp makeover turns into four!

2011-06-22T13:20:00.001-07:00

When we renovated our master bedroom the colors changed. I had two of these lamps that suddenly no longer worked in the room and needed a new spot to call home. I tucked them away hoping that eventually I would indeed find the perfect spot for them in another room. Then the other day it occurred to me that if they were a different color and had different shades they would be perfect in the guest room. The size and height were perfect just the colors were all wrong! I decided why not paint them? I figured I wouldn’t be out much since I wasn’t currently using them anyways right? So, out came the paint……..

And this is what I came up with!

Here they are in their new spot……I am still looking for the perfect accessory for between the lamps. I bought the shades from Bed Bath & Beyond for $16.99 each. Originally I wanted linen shades but the only place that had the size I needed wanted $40 each! I was really pleased when I opened the box and saw the shades had a slight texture like the linen shades I originally had in mind……

As you can see once I painted the first set of lamps I decided why stop? So, I painted a second set! One for each side of the bed………..

They are a different size and shape. Sorry I don’t have a before pic of them because they were bought for the photo shoot and then never used. They have been in storage just waiting for the perfect spot……..

Amazing how a little paint can really change the look of something isn’t it?

A pint size treasure……

2011-06-20T05:47:00.000-07:00

The other night we had severe storms here with winds of over 70 mph. The next day while out walking in the yard I found this little bird nest that had been blown out of a tree. We often hear about people loosing their homes but what about these poor creatures who loose theirs too? Now some momma bird has to rebuild her home……….

For now the little nest will rest in a tree branch in the dining room with another nest found on the grounds after a bad storm we had last summer…….

Paula Deen’s Banana Nut Muffins……

2011-06-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

Paula Deen Banana Nut Muffins:

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup mashed ripe banana

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1 cup chopped pecans

Garnish: confectioners’ sugar, fresh raspberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400*. Lightly grease 15 cups of muffin pan

2. In a large bowl,combine flour,sugar,baking soda,baking powder,cinnamon, and salt.

3. In a medium bowl, combine banana,oil,eggs,and milk.add to flour mixture stirring until just combined. Stir in pecans. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on wire racks. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar and fresh raspberries if desired.

Makes 15 servings

Enjoy!

Join the party at Sweet-As-Sugar-Cookies for more delicious sweet recipes!

The perfect accessory……

2011-06-16T14:12:00.001-07:00

It isn’t very often that I find an accessory like these gorgeous sea life bottles that can literally go anywhere and look absolutely stunning no matter where I place it! Each one of these bottles is handmade so no two are alike AND they are made right here in the USA!!!!!!!! If you would like a sea life bottle custom made just for you drop Artie a line at: artie.vanderpool@gmail.com and be sure to visit his blog to see his beautiful home and stunning gardens!!!!

A chair transformation………

2011-06-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

Originally this chair was part of a set of eight I bought on Craig’s List a few years ago. I re-upholstered all the chairs except this one and another one. Both chairs had huge holes in the seats and were filthy from the previous owner’s dogs laying on them and of course pawing at them to make them comfy. A couple of weeks ago I decided it was time to tackle this one………….

Here is it after I re-upholstered it. I couldn’t decide on whether to paint it or not so I decided to make the decision after I re-upholstered it. It wasn’t exactly fun painting it with the new fabric intact!!!!

After painting it I glued the white gimp on but wasn’t in love with it so I decided to add the nail head trim.

Here you can see the pretty leg detail……such a pretty chair isn’t it? Although the chair looks white it is actually a light blue/grey color.

Eventually it found a home in the guest bedroom. That room is still a work in progress décor wise. Some rooms just take a little longer than others to perfect……

Thanks for stopping by to visit……it is always so nice to see my friends!

It’s that time of year again!

2011-06-11T15:49:00.001-07:00

We planted this Weeping Willow tree in honor of my mother the spring after she passed away. Each year we take a pic to mark how much it has grown.

2006

2011

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!!! It is absolutely GORGEOUS here today!!!!!!

The living room………..

2011-06-10T08:33:00.001-07:00

A snippet of the living room………….

snapshot…….

2011-06-07T17:02:00.001-07:00

I recently picked up these rosary beads…..aren’t they beautiful? The obsession…errr I mean collection continues to grow!

Sneak peek of big changes at the cottage…..

2011-06-06T20:04:00.001-07:00

The trusty assistants…

My little pirate dog with the peg leg……the poor little guy has made several trips lately to the animal hospital for an enlarged liver and gallbladder. He is on the mend now hopefully?!?!?!

See anything different? Stay tuned more pics to come of all the changes!

Coming out of the closet……..

2011-04-02T14:52:00.001-07:00

The master bedroom suite is finally D O N E. It feels good to finally check it off the list! The renovation included moving the bathroom door and wall heater from one end of the master bathroom to the opposite end,framing in and adding insulation and drywall to the bedroom,new wiring, and adding a walk in closet.

The little chest you see was suppose to be used as a nightstand but due to changes in the floor plan it would not fit. However it was the perfect size for much needed storage in the master closet. The resident handy man made the shelves and attached it to the chest and I painted it out to match. It really is a shame it will never be seen since it is in the closet. I’m sure the closet will never be this clean or uncluttered after we move everything in either! Have a great weekend!!!!!

Moving right along now…….

2011-03-24T18:11:00.001-07:00

The master bedroom closet is almost complete! I know…..you're thinking big deal right? Well, when you live in a 141 year old house without a single closet it really is a big deal!

The disgruntled handy man…….

I hope to have more interesting (pretty) pics soon! The master bedroom and bath are done but I’m sure no one wants to see hoards of tools piled all around the room right?!?!?! LOL……

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

2011-03-16T17:20:00.001-07:00

Here’s to good Irish friends

Never above you

Never below you

Always beside you

A little peek of one of the bedrooms…….

2011-01-25T08:26:00.001-08:00

We have been making progress on the upstairs renovation but it has been very slow going. I finally have one of the bedrooms put back together but it is far from being finished as far as decorating goes. I thought you might enjoy a little peek to see what direction I am going in there?!?! Have a great week………….

The romantic glow of candle light…..

2011-01-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a happy weekend!

The minimalist me…..

2011-01-05T07:54:00.001-08:00

Lately I find myself eliminating more and more clutter around the house. This time it all started with a small change in the living room by removing some Pussy Willow stems from an olive jar that were leftover from the Christmas photo shoot. While they were pretty they were messy……always dropping the white fuzzy things when bumped and of course Simon aka Sir Licks A Lot found them very appealing and would always gobble them right up! This is not good for a senior dog with a delicate digestive system so out they finally went!!! After re-arranging a few things the prints next to the door were no longer working. Once I took them down I knew they were the wrong size and I needed something smaller for the wall. Suddenly I remembered these mirrors from Wisteria that I have loved since the very first time they appeared in their catalog.

The mirrors are called Stations of the cross…..they were inspired by a grouping of fourteen pieces found in churches across Europe that depict the final hours of Jesus Christ. I love the meaning behind them which makes them so special!

We are still working on the project upstairs….progress is very slow! I keep telling myself it will all be worth it in the end but sometimes it is very hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when things aren’t going so well!!!!! Hopefully I will have something to show you soon that isn’t too scary! LOL

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T08:31:00.001-08:00

Mommy’s little helper Simon was all about helping wrap the presents!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!!!!!

Love,

Derek & Des,

Simon,Teddy & Judy too!

Pics of our home as featured in Midwest Living December issue….

2010-12-07T16:53:00.001-08:00

and a few others thrown in for good measure……

If you would like to view the entire article in Midwest Living go here.

Hurry over to Morning T for a fabulous holiday giveaway!!!!!

2010-12-03T15:57:00.001-08:00

Aren’t these the most amazing Aidan Gray candlesticks you have ever seen? Well they can be yours! All you have to do is stop by Janette Mallory's blog and become a follower and then pop back over to Morning T and leave a comment……it’s that easy! Be sure to become a follower of Morning T too because she is so creative and has the most divine home….you won’t want to miss a thing! Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A trendy find…..before it was actually trendy!

2010-11-29T14:57:00.001-08:00

I’ve had this basket for at least ten years…probably longer. I don’t remember how much exactly I paid for it but I know it was not much…probably less than $10. I remember buying it like it was just yesterday……. We went to a warehouse sale where the dealer had just gotten a shipment of European antiques in. We arrived early to the sale and stood in line waiting for the doors to open at 5pm sharp. Once inside we walked up and down the isles of row after row of tables, chairs,armoires, and sideboards. On this particular trip to the warehouse sale which was held annually we were looking for an armoire to house our TV in which we did find. While waiting in line to pay my husband decided to venture into the room of smalls. He came back a few minutes later and told me there was a large basket that I would love and that I should go look at it. I knew as soon as I saw it I must have it……..it was the most wonderful greyish color and still had the original tag! The bottom is now falling out of the basket after years of use so it can no longer be carried but it is still beautiful. Who knew a grey weathered basket would be such a hot trend all these years later?

Here you can see the original tag…..still attached!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T16:54:00.001-08:00

Simon is ready for the cold snap that is suppose to arrive now at any moment. Isn’t this the cutest little coat? I love the little collar and pockets! We picked it up a couple of weeks ago at…..Target! It has a strap underneath that is adjustable with velcro to make it just his size……plump!

Wishing you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

My trusty assistants……

2010-11-20T17:39:00.000-08:00

Aren’t they the cutest? Never complaining…always there when you need them!

Love you my little baby…….smooches,smooches!

Ralph Lauren Home

2010-11-18T08:00:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend I picked up two of these little Ralph Lauren Home glasses at TJ Maxx. They are a nice weight and a just the right size to use as a bathroom tumbler. The best part….they were only $3.99 a piece! Love the detailing on them……..

This is our mater bath as it appears today........

The corner cabinet is a salvaged piece we found on Craig’s List….all it needed was a little paint!

I found this little print at an antique show last winter around Christmas time. It is a tidbit of a French letter that has been framed…….

Pretty kitchen towels…..

2010-11-13T14:52:00.000-08:00

Aren’t these the sweetest little towels? Originally I planned on using them on the towel holder at the end of the cabinet but when they arrived bundled together with this pretty ribbon and stem of Lavender tucked inside I decided to leave them…..for now anyways.

They look so pretty stacked next to the white ironstone………

A vignette on the other side of the kitchen………

To order your own set of beautiful French numbered towels visit: French Larkspur…..there are so many beautiful things in her shop you probably will order more than just towels!

Dog Bowl

2010-11-11T19:45:00.000-08:00

If you have a dog then you can totally relate to this! We have three.......need I say more?

Bless this house…..

2010-11-09T09:13:00.001-08:00

A couple of months ago I picked up this gorgeous antique cross. At the time I had no idea where it would go but when I held it in my hands it gave me a really peaceful feeling so I had to buy it! I tried it in several different places and none seemed just right. Then the other day while walking down the stairs I suddenly knew this little space above the transom was the perfect spot.

The bead board seen in the picture is hung on the diagonal and is original to the house as are the stair treads. I love the way the treads are worn in the middle and chippy. You can only find charm like this in an old house………

And the winner is…………….

2010-11-05T22:02:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway and for those of you who are followers or became a follower……I really appreciate it! The winner is: Linda at Nina's Nest Congratulations Linda!!!!!!! Please email me your address so I can get your prize mailed out to you. Have a great weekend everyone!

Before and after……

2010-11-02T16:31:00.001-07:00

The before…….

And the after!

This armoire was bought on Craig’s List for $600. I believe it is made of teak wood and is a reproduction. While the piece looked fine in the before I really wanted a lighter look for my living room. Plus the joints were loosening up which was causing gaps that were not so pretty. I primed the piece and applied two coats of grey paint followed by a white that was dry brushed on. I also used Burnt Umber paint mixed with glaze for the crevices to add age. It took over 10 hours to paint due to all the intricate detailing but was well worth it because it is one of my favorite pieces in the living room. Today I’m linking to Kim at Savvy Southern Style for the before & after party. Be sure to drop by and see all the wonderful projects she is featuring!!!!!! Don’t forget to sign up for the giveaway….only three days left!