The guest bedroom reveal…..

 

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…………

 

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

DIY coffee table……..

 

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

 

 

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!

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……

 

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……

 

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……

 

 

 

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………

 

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!

 

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………..

 

 

 

                                            A snippet of the living room………….

snapshot…….

 

 

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…..

 

                                                                           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!