Restoration House

25 years today!

2012-02-14T23:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

25 years ago today, hubby and I said "I do".
My youngest daughter was nice enough to do an impromptu photo shoot for us.
(Although she wasn't that excited to take pics of her parents rolling around on her bed! Lol)
Here is some of her handiwork.

Wait! Do I have a space here?

Thanks for stopping by and sharing in on the celebration!

Let there be light...

2012-02-05T14:14:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone.
Here is the new lighting I had mentioned in my last post.
It's made such a difference in the look and feel of my kitchen!

In the breakfast nook area we removed the one light fixture as it was sooo off-centered and put in four pot lights on a dimmer switch.

Here you can see all the lights we put in. On the kitchen end we placed 3 pot lights plus one over the stove
We removed the dreaded "boob" light and just drywalled over the hole.

We then placed two pendant lights above the peninsula where the sink is. These lights are from IKEA and were very reasonably priced.

This isn't the best before but it will give you an idea of how things looked.

These add some much needed task lighting.

This is a fixture that I got from Homesense and is done in a grey/cream faux stone look.

It's 24" across at it's widest point and has 8 arms to hold candles.

Still deliberating over this one as it is a large piece for my small space.

And...because it's not a very colourful post I thought I would add a little floral colour! Lol.

Now back to this fixture, I need some feedback here.
Does it fit in?
What about the colour and size?

What do you think?

Very pinteresting kitchen inspiration...

2012-01-31T23:41:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone!

I've finally got on the the pinterest wagon! I know, I know, what's taken me so long? Lol.

All I can say is "Awesome"!

What a wealth of inspiration, from design to travel to makeup...love it all.

During my "holiday hiatus" I've been working on (mostly ruminating over, lol) sprucing up my kitchen and breakfast nook namely with new lighting, possible paint and or soft furnishing changes.
Pinterest has been a little inspiring.

Here is a pic of the kitchen and nook.
When we finally took the plunge to paint those cabinets I swore that I would get rid of that
"boob" light...eventually
(If anybody out there is a lover/owner of boob lights please don't be offended!)

You can get a glimpse of the little chandelier I have over the nook area. Cute and only $15 from a thrift store, but this and the "boob" light are the only lighting in this area and is just not enough.
Something's gotta go!

(via pinterest)
Look at the lighting in this pic from pinterest. Love the pot lights and beautiful hanging chrome fixtures and ohh my...that blue/grey colour on the bottom cupboards!

(via pinterest)
Really liking the pot lighting in this pic.
I find pot lighting shines down and really makes the metals and glass in the space sparkle.

(via pinterest)
Yeah, I know... lol!
Vintage cupboards, Island, baskets, beautiful chandelier.
Very inspirational isn't it?

Well, the new lighting is up and I'm just deciding on a candelabra for the nook, I'll hopefully have something posted about that this week.

And then the age old question: Lose the curtains or the wallpaper? Lol.

What's inspiring you?

Christmas House Tour

2011-12-19T01:43:00.010-05:00

Hello everyone!
I hope you're all enjoying this last week till Christmas. Hopefully you have your shopping, baking and decorating done and can now kick back and enjoy the festivities! Lol.
Sorry I'm so late with this post but had some issues to contend with so....

Welcome to my house tour!.

My tree has been up for a month now and Is done in whites and neutrals.

I've hung faux garland this year as I couldn't find any real greenery that was thick enough and didn't cost an arm and a leg!

This is my mantel in the evening with the lights on.

I made the stockings and embellished each one according to personalities along with our initials.
You can read more about the mantel here.

These Christmas buckets flank either side of the fireplace. To see more pics you can go here.

I love pinecones!
I've used them everywhere this year, I even hung them from the curtain rods ( seen this in a couple of magazines and loved it), I also filled my baskets with them.

Had to have some touches of real cedar here and there, the scent is part of Christmas.

Here is the tree without the lights on. Love the green and white together.

I love glass and have used this collection of glass candle holders from PB
to dress up the breakfast nook table.

These are the little jugs/creamers I added to my garland. They go so well with my ironstone.
You can read about them here.

For the dining room mantel I used some peach pointsettias and birch lit up with little LCD lights I got from IKEA, they were only a buck a set! There are 3 sets wrapped around the birch and it looks so pretty in the evenings.

I really like the look of a lit tree shining through a front window so I bought this little guy and added some lights, a few little balls and wrapped the base in burlap.

My dining room table was a great find a couple years ago. It will be my spring project to strip off all her shine and orangey stain.

How gorgeous is birch with twinkle lights!!

Here is a little peek at the main floor powder room. I just added a little bit of red to add some Christmas colour.

I sewed up some of my 5 minute cushion covers (It can become addictive it's so easy!) out of this lovely taupe coloured toile. It goes well with the linen and burlap cushions that are in the room.

I hope you enjoyed my little Christmas tour.
I still have a little bit of Christmas in the bedrooms to show you, hopefully I'll get that done before Christmas arrives! Lol
Blessing to you!

I'll be linking up with:

Nesting Place Christmas tour of Homes

The Inspired Room
BNOTP
A bowl full of lemons
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Nifty thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm
WUW@ Savvy Southern Style
Common Ground

Christmas mantel 2011...

2011-12-11T00:39:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone,
I hope you're all enjoying the weekend!
I just finished my mantel and added some new stockings this year.

The stockings are made from a linen/cotton blend and I personalized each one with different embellishments.

It's funny how each stocking coordinates with each personality!

I did my mantel with a mixture of mercury glass, birch and pinecones this year.

The stockings are also personalized with these easy to do stick on letters.

Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for my Christmas house tour.

Be Blessed!

I'll be sharing at:
Hooked on Houses
Southern Hospitality
Under the Table and Dreamibng

Christmas garland redo...

2011-12-03T21:03:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone!
Another Christmas redo here.
I decided to add some cedar greenery to the shelf in the breakfast nook again but with a different twist than last year.

This year I found these little ironstone like creamer jugs. I thought they would look sweet with a little chocolate brown satin ribbon.

This was last year's cedar garland.
I added some glue and glittered these little spoons and wrapped them on the garland with some burlap inspired by an anthropology outing. They looked more glittery than they do here.

I'm enjoying the little jugs.

Here I added some pinecones, cinnamon sticks, faux poinsettia and a little greenery to a bowl as the table centerpiece. So easy to do with any of your decor leftovers.
I'll be sharing my Christmas mantel this week so stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by and be blessed!

Will be sharing with these ladies this week:
Good life Wednesdays
Savvy Southern Style

Christmas favorite redo...

2011-11-26T15:58:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!
I Hope all of my American friends enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I've been working on a few Christmas projects as I begin to" Deck the Halls"
I started by redoing my Christmas "buckets", these were a real favorite from last Christmas and I still get questions/comments about them. I've changed them up a bit this year!

This year I've used bigger oval galvanized buckets. They're new so a little shinier than I wanted but I love the shape. If anyone knows how to weather these up a bit I would love to know.

This is one of the two buckets that flanked the fireplace from last year.

This year I filled them with birch, pinecones, and mercury glass which is what I'll be using for all my decorating this Christmas.
I also added some cinammon sticks wrapped in brown satin ribbon and this lovely faux white pointsettia flower.

The twig lights add a lot of sparkle.
Many people have asked where to get these lights and I'm sorry to say that I don't know. I got them from a booth at a Christmas show last year and unfortunately they did not sell them this year. One reader said they've seen them on Amazon. I've seen something similar at garden centers as well as the home depot.

They look so pretty flanking the fireplace all lit up!

I'll be adding a bit of cedar to the buckets once I get my greenery this week.

My daughter is in the midst of repairing some drywall in the kitchen ceiling and should be sanding today.

I want to make sure it's done before I continue with "Decking the Halls" lol.

Thanks for stopping by,

be blessed!

My yellow ware find...

2011-11-13T21:08:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!
I hope you're all enjoying and are revving up for the season that is about to come upon us!
For my American friends, you'll be gearing up for Thanksgiving, but we Canadians have long since celebrated that Holiday and are looking forward to the craziness and hustle and bustle of Christmas! (Well some of us eh?) lol.
In the meantime...
I Just wanted to share with you my beautiful yellow ware bowl that I found at value village last week.

I found this little beauty peeking out at me from the back of a shelf. At 13.5 inches wide who could miss her?

I thought this must be a reproduction yellow ware bowl otherwise what would it be doing here selling for $4.99?

I grabbed it before anyone else could realize the colossal mistake they made by walking past this lovely lady and knew right away that this wasn't any reproduction!

It was a genuine T.G. Green, Gripstand yellow ware bowl from the 1930's in perfect shape!

Would I have liked it any less if it were a reproduction?

No, but knowing that this bowl has been around for eighty plus years and has graced the kitchen of a few generations makes it a little more special.

I'm happy to have her stay with me in my kitchen for a while!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit,
will be seeing you soon with some lovely Christmas inspiration!

Blessings to you!

Another five minute cushion cover x2

2011-10-23T23:20:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone,

Remember my post about the 5 minute cushion?

Well I just went back to read and try it again.

You can find the tutorial here.

I've had my eye on this brownish gray linen damask for over a year now and couldn't decide whether or not to get it. I wanted to use it in the breakfast nook but it would have clashed with the apple green damask wallpaper in there and the thoughts of tearing it down wasn't appealing so I decided against the fabric.

I seen it again at Fabricland and there was only a couple of meters left but it was 66% off so I knew it was meant to be,

I was able to make 2 of these 5 minute cushions covers for $12!

I put them in the family room where they go great with the burlap and linen cushions that are already in there.

The cover is a basic envelope style and once you calculate how much fabric you'll need and cut out your piece it literally will take you five minutes to sew it up!

If you can sew a straight line you can whip yourself up a set of covers in about 10 minutes.

(Not including the time it takes to calculate and cut your fabric especially if you're mathematically challenged like myself).

A meter/yard or two of fabric and you can change things up in a few minutes!

Have a great week,

and whether you are sewing challenged or not hope you give this a try!

Blessings!

I'll be partying with these ladies this week:

Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style
French Country Cottage

Fall Mantel...

2011-10-06T18:47:00.004-04:00

Better late than never I always say...
Well it's taken me a couple of tries but I've finally finished my fall mantel.

Have you ever tried to decorate something, a room or maybe a vignette and even though all the elements were great the finished product just didn't sit right with you?

That's what happened with my first mantel.

It was just not coming together.

I started adding things and taking away others, and then it looked worse.

I learned a valuable lesson.

Start from scratch.

When things aren't coming together the way you like,

take away everything and start with a clean slate.

Start bringing back the elements you absolutely love/need and build from there.

In my case, I really wanted the woody elements of the birch logs and candle holders so that's what I started with and since it's fall the pumpkins were a must have as well.
I wanted to mix some color in so I added the dried blue hydrangeas.
I also added my little decoupaged pumpkin to break up the whiteness of all the pumpkins.
Adding candle light to anything brings a lovely glow and a festive touch.
(The tutorial for the birch log is here and it's probably best to use those little battery operated tea lights instead of the ones I have here, much safer!)

So this is what I came up with.

It has all my favorite elements and goes well with the rest of the space.

Thanks for dropping by and allowing me to share my mantel saga with you!

And please don't think that I'm ignoring you all, for some reason blogger is not letting me post my comments on your blogs! I'm able to post on only a few blogs, still trying to work this out.

I'm still here, lurking around! Lol.

Blessings

Will be linking up with:

Hooked on Houses
Feathered Nest Fridays
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

They're still a few of my favourite things...

2011-10-01T21:21:00.000-04:00

Well I guess you could say I've been MIA, away or just plain gone but...I'm baack!
Sometimes we just need to take a break from things, even those that bring us joy.
Thanks to all who have dropped a line to ask how I was doing, it was so thoughtful!

It's hard to believe that the end of October will mark my one year anniversary of this ole blog.

It has been such a journey!

My very first posting was called "a few of my favourite things from around the house" and one of my favourite things were my white pumpkins, they're still one of my favourites!

Fake ones, real ones, little ones or large, they add so much to the fall/harvest season.

As you can see, they go with any color! Lol.

Stay tuned,

I'll be sharing some more pumpkins on my fall mantel and another little project I've been working on for the fall season.

Blessings!

White eye candy...

2011-08-16T00:50:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday to you all!

I thought I would share a little white eye candy with you I found over at Skona Hem's Blog.

Enjoy...

Love the grey and brown shams and look at those floors!

Loving the pops of green among all that wonderful white.

So pretty!

(All photos by Mari Eriksson via Skona Hem blog)

White is so clean and bright, can't hide any dirt here!

Blessings!

2011-08-06T23:49:00.000-04:00

We have a winner!

So sorry I'm a little late in posting the winner to our Ramsign giveaway.

Between the gym, my daughter's birthday and nursing my back, it's been busy!

The winner is Debbie from refresh restyle.

Congratulations Debbie!
Just send me your email address and I'll forward it to Ramsign.

Enter a lower limit:
Enter an upper limit:

Random Number:

I thought I would show some random pics from my library.

They may be random, but I'm seeing a bit of a theme here!

Yep, I certainly see a theme, lol!
Hope you are enjoying the weekend!

Giveaway time!

2011-07-29T00:15:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!

How is your summer going?

I hope everybody has a chance to kick back and enjoy some relaxing and/or just plain fun time with family & friends.

This summer marks a little milestone for my blog and I'm so excited to celebrate my 1000th follower/friends of Restoration House by offering a giveaway! It has been such a blessing to meet so many interesting and talented people and to be able to share a little of myself with you.

The wonderful people at Ramsign, have generously offered to give one of my followers one of their beautiful numbered signs! The signs are available from 1 digit up to 5 digits with five different styles to choose from.

Ramsign is a small Danish company, specialising in manufacturing and selling classic enamel signs ( house signs and house numbers) based upon original designs and techniques.

Their numbers signs are classic and lovely and would go with any style.

I've entered a few giveaways for these beautiful signs myself but haven't won one but am so happy to be able to give one away!

You have 3 chances to enter to win:

1. Be a follower and leave me a comment letting me know for one entry.

2. Leave a comment letting me know what design/style you would like by linking up to Ramsign here for another entry.

3. Tweet or blog about this giveaway and leave a comment letting me know for a third entry.

This giveaway is open to everybody as Ramsign ships internationally and will close on Thursday August 4th 9:00 pm EST.

Good luck everyone!

Feeling hot, hot, hot?

2011-07-21T18:52:00.000-04:00

Is everybody feeling the heat today?

We reached temperatures of 38 C with a humidex of 47C.
For my stateside friends that 100.4 F with a humidex of 116F! (Had to google that!) lol.

I know this heat wave is happening all over.

Hoping that you all are finding ways to beat the heat.

One great way to beat the heat is to stay hydrated.

Some sparkling fruit juices with tons of ice and fruit sounds great!
I found six of these mason jar mugs at the thrift store.
They go well with our summertime refreshments.

Hope is enjoying some refreshment and then a dip into the lukewarm pool to cool off! Lol.

Hoping you are all enjoying your summer!
Ill be announcing a giveaway to celebrate 1000 wonderful blogging friends!
Stay tuned!
Blessings

Farm fresh eggs...

2011-07-12T14:53:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone,
hope you're all enjoying your week and your summer!

Just wanted to share some pics of our farm fresh eggs!

We get them weekly from Svetec Farms here in Durham.
Paul & Jenny Svetec raise free range, grass and organic grain fed chickens for both meat and eggs.
You can really taste the difference!

I found these little ceramic egg holders at the thrift store for 2.99!
They look lovely holding my little eggs.

Couldn't show you my farm fresh eggs without showing you who actually produces them! Lol.
She is just one of the laying hens at the Svetec Farms.

Here is the lovely lady running around the barn, she was having a great old time!
Happy chickens produce great eggs.

Thanks for stopping by and visiting with me today!
Be blessed!

Will be linking up with these ladies this week:

Coastal Charm
Beach Cottage
Country French Cottage

New color love...

2011-06-19T23:49:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!
Hoping you all had a wonderful Father's Day!
I wanted to share this beautiful new color I found, It is a soft blue/green and I believe I'm smitten!

The color is whythe blue by Benjamin Moore.

The first time I found this color was over at Cottage &Vine. As soon as I seen Rene's header with her gorgeous front door painted in this color I became a follower without even looking at the content of her blog!
I knew that this would be my new door color come springtime.

This is the before.
A classic black that looked great with my damask pillows and black accessories but a fresh change was needed.

The screen door is put on in the spring and removed in late fall. It's painted white down by BM.

Here is a view from the inside.

I had posted about these new cushion covers I got on sale at pottery barn. They matched the new paint color perfectly! and these muskoka chairs need some good support when you're sitting on the porch having a beverage.

Butters enjoys sitting out her with me in the evenings too.

My lobelia is coming along well and blends nicely with the blue/green theme.

This glass container is kept out here all year long. It lights up cold winter nights and lovely summer evenings in candlelight. I've place it on this tree stump we use as a table.

So cozy and comfy!

So glad you stopped by!
Have a blessed day.

Peony love...

2011-06-13T00:29:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!
Just wanted to share my beautiful white peonies with you!

Aren't they lovely?
What could be better than a bouquet of beautiful scented peonies...other than hydrangeas, cabbage roses, tulips in the spring, lol.

They look great in any container but especially nice in a large vintage ironstone pitcher.

These are one of the first perennials I ever planted.

I had them for about ten years in our old house and when we moved to our current home five years ago, I dug this little lady up and brought her with me.

It took a couple of years for her to get used to her new home but she turned out spectacular this year.

The scent is simply amazing and it brings back so many memories of early summers when my kids were young.

I usually get a couple of bouquets out of her every year.

I try to leave some blooms left on the plant so the neighbors can enjoy them too.

I also heard that you shouldn't cut all the blooms off, not sure on the rationale behind that though.

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my peonies with you!
Hope you all have a blessed week!

It's laundry day at RH!

2011-06-07T14:10:00.001-04:00

Happy Tuesday to you all!
Today is laundry day where I clean all my slipcovers and cushion covers. Every couple of months or so (depending on how dirty animal paws are) I strip down all the furniture spending the day taking off covers, and putting on covers...it can be quite the job but so rewarding!

Do I use this washpail and washboard? I don't think so! But they look good don't they?
I got this galvanized washpail at a garage sale and the washboard is from a thrift store. I think they both cost twenty dollars combined.

Love that this is a little vintage piece of Canadiana.

Here are all the cushion covers that are in the living room now that will be washed along with the slipcovers, it's like getting new clean furniture everytime!

I'm loving the blues, creams, whites and burlap beiges.

I think my style is nautical farmhouse!
Hey it goes, doesn't it?
My family comes from PEI where you can see beautiful little farms with views of the ocean so this nautical farmhouse theme is in my blood! Lol.

Here is a little peek of two new cushion covers I got on sale at PB.
They're going on my muskoka chairs on the porch/veranda and will soon match what is now my black front door.
Stay posted!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day!

New old shelf...

2011-06-04T14:57:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!
Hope you're all enjoying the weekend!

I wanted to show you a little project I've been working on.

I got this little shelf a couple of years ago at flea market booth for ten dollars and it's been sitting in my basement waiting to be used.

I didn't know what to do with the blank space above our ~~massive, hulking~~ TV. It was missing something and the room didn't seem balanced to me.

You can see the space somewhat in this old pic.

So I got hubby to hang it up, I'm kinda liking it!

Whadda you think?

Thanks for dropping by today and be blessed!

A few visitors to my spring garden...

2011-05-23T01:50:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!

It's been a while eh?

I know...I've been busy with life and such, you all know what I mean I'm sure.

I thought I would share my spring garden and a few little critters who came to visit! Lol

Whenever I'm out in the garden my little munchkins follow me to watch whatever it is I'm doing (along with watching some fledgling robins that my daughter and I have saved a number of times!)

Most of you will know by now my chihuahua "Butters", and cats "Jack" and "Tara", can you spot them all?

Here is Jack in the midst of my garden. He sits under this mulberry tree that I really trimmed back earlier this spring, he loves to hide under it and "study" the wildlife. I'm thankful that he is big and bulky and lacks any real stealth that is required to catch this wildlife.

I've added some hanging plants this weekend and fell in love with these blue lobelia.

Here is Butters beside a couple of hanging plants that I'll be putting out on the back deck.

Hubby was in the middle of hanging up the spring/summer screen door, so please disregard the mess.

This post is basically a before as I will be repainting the door and will be adding some different cushions to the muskoka chairs.

I love this pic because Butters and Jack are usually such camera hogs and they both decided to look away while Tara who is so shy decides to ham it up.

Lots of work to be done here but you can see my bleeding hearts in white and pink as well as my "snow in summer" in full bloom. I have a couple of peonies that will bloom in a couple of weeks as well as a couple of clematis.

I have a couple of pots of lavender to plant as well as some other plants to move.

I really should do some edging, add some manure, along with some mulch...

Now if only these little critters could pick up a shovel! Lol

Thanks for stopping by today,

blessings upon you all.

My favorite meal...

2011-05-15T14:04:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!
Hope you're all enjoying the weekend!
It's been raining here the last two days and while the rain is in a constant fight with my hair the gardens are really enjoying it! Lol.

It's lobster time and one of my favorite all time meals. I guess I come by it rightly by being the daughter of a long line of Islanders.
Usually my aunt and uncle will bring up from PEI a cooler filled of just cooked lobster for me to enjoy. This time I jumped the gun and bought a few from the grocery store.
It's the first time I've ever cooked them live on my own.
I must admit that my daughter and myself felt pretty bad about this and in the midst of tears and ohhs and awws the deed was done quickly.

I decided to take a few pics but was too hungry to actually spend any time styling them. Lol.

Many times we cook potatoes and other veggies to go with the meal but the lobster is so good we never get around to eating anything but the lobster except these big tomatoes covered in salt, pepper and chopped cilantro.

Would really like to be able to take better photos of food.

Penny De Los Santos has a free Food Photography Workshop @ Creative LIVE going on this weekend but I haven't been able to watch it. I believe you have to pay for it after today.

Thanks for stopping by today and
Blessings to you all.

A thank you and a thrift basket...

2011-05-10T00:30:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone!
I'm hoping everyone had a great weekend and a lovely Mother's Day.
My Mother's Day started with a family lunch at my favorite Thai place and finished with my daughters' and I watching Jane Eyre at the theater. A simply wonderful day with a sweet red velvet cake, even sweeter bracelet bead to add to my collection and pink champagne thrown in for good measure! I am truly blessed.

I wanted to send out a thank you to Mary at Urban Farmgirl for featuring my Kitchen Makeover last week. Mary has such a great blog and nobody looks better in a pair of Hunter wellies than she does lol!
Stay tuned as Mary will be revealing her Cabbage & Roses guest room makeover this week!

I also wanted to send a shout out to Apartment therapy for featuring my Kitchen Makeover as well. Certainly feeling very thankful this week!

Here is a few pics of a wicker basket that I picked up a GW.
I love baskets and this one has such a lovely warm texture to it. It's at the bottom of my bed and I use it to throw my laundry in. I know it sounds corny, but I love to look at it from my ensuite, it reminds me of my Grandaunt hanging laundry on the line.
My Grandaunt had a lovely old homestead in PEI with a laundry line that overlooked the water. It's a view we would all kill for now but back then it was just a backyard that had an inlet from the ocean running behind it. I can still see the clothing and linen blowing with the salt air in the sunshine...
It's amazing how an object can bring to mind so many memories!

Look at the lovely warmth of color it adds to a sea of white and cream. It also matches Butter's beautiful color as well!
My bed isn't made but Butters doesn't mind.

The basket goes well with the other baskets in the room and adds color and texture like the baskets here under my sewing tables turned bedside tables.

and the basket on top of the armoire.

It will eventually go into my closet but for now I'm enjoying it at the end of my bed.

Thanks for stopping by and
be Blessed!

Kitchen makeover and beach find...

2011-05-01T19:51:00.012-04:00

Hello everyone!

Hoping you're all enjoying the weekend!

I'm finally posting my newly painted kitchen cupboards, yay!

I had wanted to paint these cupboards since we moved into our house about five years ago but was afraid to take the plunge.

Hubby decided to finally start the job and we finished last week.

We used my favorite white by Ben Moore called "cloud white".

This is what they looked like before:

Since we moved in, I had done the backsplash, put beadboard around the peninsula. changed the countertop and changed out all the appliances to stainless steel. We only had the painting to do.

We had also put a new sink and faucet in when we changed out the countertop.

I put a little linen skirt under the sink as I wanted to wait to put the newly painted cupboard doors in there. I wanted to give the paint time enough to cure and this is such a high traffic area with the garbage and recycling, I didn't want the doors to be ruined. I'm kinda liking the skirt there now though.

Another view.

I love limes!

This is my beachy find that hubby and I saw washed up along the shore while going for our walk the other day.

I think it's part of an old wooden pallet.

Hubby dragged it home and managed to get most of the sand out of it, I just love the weathered grey look.

Love it with my beach mason jars.

Of course lavender and hydrangeas! lol.

You can see the tip of the old "boob" fixture here. We are getting rid of that fixture and putting two new pendants over the peninsula along with some pot lights. I'll post that when it's done. So excited to get rid of that light!

Hope you enjoyed my little kitchen makeover and beachy find!

Thanks for stopping by,

Be blessed!

I'll be partying with these ladies this week:

Metamorphosis Monday @ BNOTP

DIY Showoff

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm

Good Life Wednesdays @ Beach Cottage

POPP @ Domestically Speaking

Transformation Thursdays @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Show andTtell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Beachy Mantel

2011-04-27T20:34:00.008-04:00

Hello everyone!

Happy White Wednesday.

I've been waiting for a nice day to take pics of the family room and mantel, but so far it's been grey, grey, grey.

I find taking pics of my mantel difficult at the best of times. I don't know if it's because it's a corner fireplace, or justy my lack of skill but the pics never seem to look as good as the real thing.

Anyway...here is my beachy summer mantel, yeah I know it's kind of early but I've had my spring mantel up for a few months now and I'm ready for a change!

I don't know if you can tell, but we painted the family room a color called silver streak by CIL paints. It's a very pale blue/grey and looks very fresh in the room.

I've kept up the driftwood candle holder from the spring mantel shown here, but removed the greens and twigs.

Love this lantern that I got at homesense. I had visited PB and had an idea of what I wanted, without the PB price, and found comparables at homesense for a fraction of the cost. The shells and starfish I've had from previous years.

You may remember my post about getting this vase at GW complete with shells. I've added a few more thrift find shells along with a candle. The candle is getting shorter and my shell collection is getting larger! It is really magical at night when the lights are low and all the candles are lit up.

I found this old paddle at Aberfoyle a couple of years and have yet to find a spot for it. It's just standing up beside the fireplace for now.

Hope you've enjoyed my newly decorated mantel!

Thanks for stopping by and

Be Blessed!

I'll be linking up with:

Good Life Wednesdays @ a Beach Cottage

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm

Transformation Thursdays @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a shoestring Decorating

Show and Tell Friday @ My romantic Home

SNShttp://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/2011/04/sns-79-showcases-farm-tables.html @Funky Junk Interiors

The Lettered Cottage

Hydrangea love and a peek...

2011-04-21T02:08:00.008-04:00

Hi everyone!

I can't believe it's been a week since my last post!

Life's been busy here at RH.

Hubby and I went to Cosco the other day and they were selling their 12 inch pots of hydrangeas for twenty bucks! These pots hold a plant that is approx. 3x3 feet, they are HUMONGOUS and held about 25 blooms!

I always buy them in the pot and cut my blooms from it. It's cheaper than buying a bouquet of hydrangeas and you can't get fresher than just cut from the plant. I was able to get 5 arangements from 1 plant.

They came in blue, pink and green, hubby chose the blue, either way, you can't go wrong with these beauties!

Aren't they gorgeous?

Here is another arrangement in a lovely ironstone pitcher.

I placed them in some vintage mason jars I found at the thrift store. I love the old zinc lids and decided to keep them on. I have one of these arrangements on either side of the sofa.

Here is the arrangement again with our freshly painted kitchen cupboards in the background!

Hubby decided to take the plunge and started painting them over the weekend. It's only taken 5 years! I will be doing a post on the kitchen makeover soon.

Yes, I'm still waiting to find that elusive "perfect" or just one that fits lampshades!

Here is another little peek. The family room has been repainted a pale blue, there are some new summer cushions added and the mantel has been beached up for summer! Yes it will be here before you know it.

Will be posting that shortly as well.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hoping you all have a lovely blessed Easter weekend!

Linking up with:

Good Life Wednesdays @ A Beach Cottage

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm

Transformation Thursday@ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a shoestring decorating

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

SNS @ Funky Junk Interiors

Dying to show you this...

2011-04-13T02:23:00.026-04:00

Hi everyone!

Just rustling through my cupboards the other day and found these:

They started out like this:

A pair of white PB linen/cotten blend pillow shams.

I had forgotten that I even had them!

I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them after reading and loving a post by Carol Spinski on dying thrift finds, you can find it here. Carol is an amazing photographer and stylist and has a beautiful blog!

If you have some things that you've forgotten about in your cupboards or have a great thrift find, how about giving them a new lease on life, so to speak, with some fabric dye!

I got together my supplies and used Dylon brand because that was the brand I found at my fabric store.

You'll need:

package of dye

iodized salt

gloves

measuring cup

measuring spoons

you'll need to use a stainless steel container, I used my sink, as well as a stainless steel stirring utensil.

I put on my gloves and mixed the packet of dye in 500ml of warm water to dilute the dye. Then I poured my mixture into the sink with 5-6 litres of warm water.

My brand of dye required that I put 5 tbsp of salt in the sink of warm water. Put in the dye mixture and stir/mix well.

I placed both of my pillowcases in at the same time. My directions said to constantly mix/stir the fabric into the dye for 15 min.. I did it for maybe 10 min and then my back was sore from standing ,lol. Then you're supposed to stir occasionaly for 45 min. I didn't want my pillow cases to be as dark as the color on the package so I took them out after half an hour.

I then rinsed them in cool water until the water ran clear, after rinsing I washed them in the machine in warm water and then dried them.

This is how they turned out. You can see that they're practically the exact same color as on the package. I must admit that I wanted them to be a little paler. But, it was my first try at dying fabric and I will know for next time. The color is actually a very lovely turquoise called "Bahama Blue" it even sounds nice!

Here they are with my my daughter's bed spread in her room with a couple of her other loves. What girl doesn't love Tiffanys and she has all her little Tiffany boxes on display with one of my perfume bottles that she "borrowed" from a little collection I had. It all has a lovely beachy feel to it and I thougt it would be a great direction for her room makeover.

Until she told me that she actually loves white and vintage! White and vintage? How does she know about white and vintage?! I guess I've really rubbed off on her. Lol. Yes, she says she wants her bed all in white with some vintage. However, she does like this picture frame I picked up today and wouldn`t mind it...yeah right. Lol. Ok, I may have to use this direction for my other daughter, who btw, also loves Tiffanys!

Not only will they not leave the nest, they want me to decorate it too! Lol

Thanks for stopping by!

I will be celebrating my 6 month anniversary of blogging in a few days and am working on a giveaway! Will keep you posted.

Be blessed!

Will be linking up with:

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on shoestring Decorating

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

SNS @ Funky Junk Interiors

VIP Party @ Design Garden

Beachy Mason Jars

2011-04-10T21:13:00.006-04:00

Hello everyone!

I'm in the midst of sprucing things up...again! lol.

I'm starting with the family room, adding some shells, changing up the cuhsion covers and adding some great beachy candlelight.

I've seen these lovely beachy mason jars filled with candleight everywhere. I seen them at PB last week and loved the way they have them displayed. They had them hanging from an old vintage ladder in an outdoor setting. Can't wait to try that out on the deck soon but will probably hang them from my umbrella.

They look great with some glass candleholders.

I just twisted some wire around the rim of some old mason jars I had in the basement and added a little handle so that they can be hung. A little sand and a votive candle and you've got a pretty little candleholder, So simple to do!

This is how they look lit up at night.

Again during the day.

They look great hanging! Here I've just hung it from the light fixture by the handle, but you can use twine, jute, wire or fishing line to hang them.

Donna at Funky Junk Interiors just posted on Mason Jars with a linky party! you can link up here and look at all that great inspiration, you will be amazed at what can be done with a simple mason jar!

I'll be posting again in the next couple of days to show the rest of the family room spruce up!

Thanks for stopping by and

Be Blessed!

Will be linking up with:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm

Good Life Wednesdays @ Beach Cottage

Transformation Thursdays @ Shabby Chic cottage

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm

Open House Party Thursday @ No Minimalist Here

Family pics with the new lens...

2011-04-10T03:46:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!

I hope you're all enjoying the weekend!

Some of you have asked about my new camera lens, it's a Nikkor 55-300mm DX VR11.

I started with the kit lens 18-55mm that came with my Nikon D90 and have been waiting for the day to add this new one.

One of the exciting things that have come along with blogging is a passion for photography and although

I am such a novice right now I look forward to growing in this new found love of mine.

I've taken a few pics of my daughters with this new lens and decided to share some of them with you.

These first few pics are of my middle daughter Faith. The fact that I was able to take any pics of them was a miracle as they don't like to get their pics taken...especially by Mom for some reason! Lol.

By now she had had enough.

This is my youngest daughter Hope and she allowed me one pic and that was it. She then said her lips looked purple so I changed it to black and white...sigh

This is my eldest daughter Charity, (the back side of her anyway! Lol) with Butters trailing behind.

We decided to enjoy the day by taking a walk along the beach which is just down the road from us.

If you're a dog walker, you don't need to ask what's in the bag!

There is nothing like the sound of waves slapping up onto the shore. Both hubby and I come from a long line of Islanders and we both find the sound healing in some way...we're blessed to have it so close to home.

Butters loves it down by the beach, leash off, wind blowing through his fur and he is in his glory!

Love this pic of Charity and Butters walking side by side.

Since we're here, I couldn 't help but show a pic of hubby, yes it is a little blurry but don't blame the lens!

This is how you'll find hubby a lot of the time. Listening to worship music and or a preaching message, yes he can do both...don't know how but he calls it "multitasking"! Lol.

I thought if the girls could bare it so could I! Lol.

Looking forward to sharing more pics with you all.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tiptoe through the tulips...

2011-04-06T08:00:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone!

It is sooo nice to be back!

I didn't want to say too much in my last post in fear that it wouldn't post like my previous 5 attempts.

Thanks to so many of you that sent me some love and encouragement during my lonely week! Lol. It was well appreciated.

Despite my mishaps with blogger I was still able to enjoy the great spring weather! It's still a little cool here but the sun is shining!

I thought I'd bring a little more spring inside and what says spring better than a couple of bunches of tulips?

What is it about flowers that breathes life into any room?

You can see where I finally hung my Farmer's Market sign.

I'm also trying out a new lens. I'm loving the pics!

Thanks for stopping by.

Hoping you all get a chance to tiptoe through the tulips! They're only 5.97 a bunch at walmart.

Linking up with these ladies:

Frugal Friday @ The shabby nest

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Another sign...

2011-04-03T18:47:00.008-04:00

Another sign...another attempt at posting it!

Hoping that this little fix finally allows me to post some pics!

I found this piece of wood already put together and painted at a thrift store last week for 4.99. I copied and painted some letters from my word program and then gave it a good sanding and voila!

It's a nice size at 1x4 feet.

Still trying to figure out where to hang it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linking up with these ladies this week:

SNS @ Funky Junk Interiors

Metamorphosis Monday @ BNOTP

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal charm

DIY Showoff

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon slice of Suburbia

Good life Wednesdays @ Beach Cottage

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm

Transformation Thursdays @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Test Post

2011-03-31T16:19:00.003-04:00

Test Post
Still trying to work out this problem of having no pics show up.
Hopefully blogger can fix it.

Cottage Love...

2011-03-23T18:35:00.000-04:00

Happy White Wednesday!

While looking online for some new light pendants to hang over my peninsula, I happened upon Sarah Richardson's site. She is one of my favorite designers and she is local!

I love the way she mixes vintage pieces into her designs.

Nobody does "cottage" like Sarah Richardson!

Prepare yourself for some cottage love!

These pics are from her own cottage on Georgian Bay

Just love her mix of wing chairs with vintage bench and these awesome vintage office chairs with her shabby dining table.

Here is another view of her dining table looking into the kitchen. Look at the way she mixes the different fabrics and textures. Love her cottagey signature blues and greens.

Another view into the kitchen.

How great is this little seating area?

How about this living room, aren't those views awesome?

Sarah's Cottage is on one of the many little Islands in Georgian Bay so she needs to take a boat to get to the cottage. Basically views all around. Oh well I guess you can't have it all! Lol.

Doesn't this look like a nice place to curl up with a cup of tea and a great book? Or maybe just a spot to sit and take in the views.

(All pictures courtesy of Sarah Richardson for HGTV)

Wouldn't you love to spend a weekend here?

Once again, look at the mix of fabrics and textures. These birch lamps were made by Sarah and her sidekick Tommy, from an old birch tree. So pretty.

I hope you enjoyed taking a look at Sarah's Cottage with me, if you would like to see more of Sarah's work you can find that here.

Okay, now I need to get back to searching for some pendant lighting!

New Dropcloth slipcover

2011-03-21T14:03:00.014-04:00

Hi everyone!
I've been missing in action this past week.
Just taking a little time off and working on a project.

I want to thank you all for the awesome lampshade advice!
So many of you were so sweet to help me with this lampshade dilemma.
The majority of you thought the new lampshade was a little too small for the base and I agree. I am going to return both of the burlap/linen shades.
Some of you suggested that I cover the white shade, which is something I thought of but a fabric on top of the shade would allow little light in through the shade and I use these lamps for reading.
I am going to do what some of you suggested and keep the white shades and hold out for something that fits.
Once again, so appreciative of all your help!

Now here is what I've been working on this week.
I bought a matching pair of these club chairs at GW a few months ago with the idea of slipcovering them.
They are a ~~hideous~~ lovely green velvet underneath. Lol.

It took me about a week to finish this one, with plenty of time off in between for my back to recuperate!
I used my favorite painter's dropcloth to cover this. Love the look and it fit my budget.

Do you notice the seam in the middle of the seat panel? Didn't even notice it until I had the seat cover on.
Argh! May do this seat cover over again.

Here it is again with a different throw pillow. I love them both!

You can see the ladder I got at the antique barn last weekend with hubby, behind the chair. It was 11 feet tall so hubby cut it down to fit my 8 foot ceilings. Really luv these old ladders.

I still have another chair to do! Ugghh.
I think I'll take some time off before starting it though!

Thanks for stopping by and blessings to you all.

Will be linking up with these ladies:

Metamorphosis Monday @ BNOTP
Twice Owned Tuesdays @ House of Grace
DIY Showoff
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm
Wow us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
Transformation Thursdays @ Shabby chic cottage
Show and Tell Friday@ My Romantic Home
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a shoestring decorating
Furniture Feature Friday@ MMS
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Lampshade advice needed...

2011-03-14T14:57:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone, Hope you've all had a great weekend!
I managed to get hubby out to an anitque barn and then out for lunch. You have to understand that hubby's idea of a good time is running, climbing or hiking and the whole thrifting/anitqueing on the weekend isn't his kinda thing! Despite our differences, he has always been there to help load up a vehicle with my finds without batting an eye! Lol.
I managed to find a couple of things (well I found more than a couple, but a couple is what I came home with!) I'll post those later on this week!

Right now I need some lampshade advice!
Back in December I posted about this PB mercury glass lamp with linen shade that I absolutely loved!
There was no love between the pricetag and I however.

Luv the size, style, mercury glass, just a great lamp.

That same week I stumbled across these lamps at a thrift store. They are somewhat similiar to what I had seen @ PB in terms of size and shape, but instead of mercury glass they are some sort of mirror glass.

So here's where I need the advice. The lampshades I have on them now are from my old lamps. I've wanted to get some linen shades to match the PB ones.
It's been really difficult finding shades as these lamps are really large! I also have a next to nothing budget to work with and the linen shades can be pricey.

I managed to find these shades at homesense for $16 each. They have a cross between linen and burlap look to them and the size seems appropriate to the base. (I've heard that the shade should be at least 2/3 the length of the base in which this shade is). I've left the plastic on in case I need to return them.

Here is another view with the lamp off.
What do you think?
Are you partial to the white shade or this linen look shade?
Should I just continue looking?
Should I get rid of the lamps all together because they are uber large? Lol.

Appreciate you all stopping by and giving your opinion!

Blessings to you!

Family Room Spring Refresher...

2011-03-07T18:06:00.013-05:00

Hi everyone!
Happy Monday to you all!

Jennifer Rizzo is hosting a Refresh Your Room Party for spring!

I thought I would refresh my family room with a newly painted bench and try it out as a coffee table, along with a few greens to lighten and brighten things up. Hopefully this will help to hasten spring along .

I had this old bench that I bought at at the Aberfoyle Antique show a couple of summers ago.

This bench ususally sits by the front door and is supposed to be a place to sit and put your shoes on but everybody sits on the steps and the bench became a great place for putting ~~junk~~ bags on as you come in the door.

This is what the bench looked like before. I had just painted it black and had placed my driftwood keyholder above it since we really weren't using the bench to sit on. I have since moved the driftwood as it wasn't working for me there. You'll see it in my walk-in closet in an upcoming post.
You can see my post on the driftwood keyholder here.

OK back to refreshing my family room! Lol

I've added some lovely hydrangeas in a little ironstone pitcher.

I've also added a few more greens in my bookcase.

Most of you have recently seen my spring mantel which is in my family room too.

I decided to place a couple of baskets under the bench. They make a great place to put Butter's toys. I'm not sure how he feels about this but It's better than having them all over the floor. Now if I can only train him to put them away!

I thought I would try placing one of my driftwood candleholders on the bench and love the look. I don't think it's practical for everyday, but it would be nice on special occassions.

With this candleholder I made the holes a little larger and put little votives in there, some nice plain ones would look great too. You can find the driftwood candleholder tutorial here.

I'm enjoying the lovely glass vases with candles, to me it's simple, clean and fresh.
Not sure what the paint color is as I got it from the oops bin at HD but I love it!

I also freshened thing up by placing some of my favorite waverly linen fabric cushions. I love the blue/green color with the lovely floral pattern. Anyone who has been following my blog for a while knows that I change my cushions almost as often as my underwear! Lol.

I hope you all enjoyed my attempt at Refreshing my family room for spring. Maybe you'd like to take a look at some other spring room refreshing over at Jennifer's.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

I'll also be linking up with these ladies this week:

Metamorphosis Monday @ BNOTP
SNS @ Funky Junk Interiors
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
Tuesday's Treasures@ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Wow us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
White Wednesdays @ Faded Charm
POPP @ Domestically Speaking
Good life Wednesdays @ Beach Cottage
Transformation Thursdays @ The Shabby Chic Cottage
Furniture Feature Friday @ MMS

A little green in the Kitchen and a couple of finds...

2011-03-05T16:05:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday everyone!
Hope you're all enjoying your weekend. It's raining cats and dogs here, but I'm not minding it as it's melting whats left of the snow and reminding me that spring is on it's way!

I decided to add a little bit of spring in the kitchen and breakfast nook and show you a couple of thrift finds.

Here is a lovely green wreath up on the shelf with my ironstone, it really pops against the white,

This is my first find. It's perfect for my lemon and limes that I keep in abundance and use constantly!
This little wire basket cost me $3.03 at GW! Yes, they've started adding these funny little prices to things.

Along with being great for cooking, drinking and cleaning,
they also help to add a little brightness to the kitchen.

I like the look of this old wooden handle.

This is a little ironstone mortar and pestle I found at a thrift store for a couple of dollars.

Loving how the green really brightens up the space and makes it feel clean and fresh, just like spring!

Couldn't help but share this candle I got from paddywax. It's jasmine scented and so fragrant! It's green too! Lol.

This is one of two topiaries I keep in the kitchen.

Loving all the freshness of it. See these cupboard doors? They will be painted once the weather gets a little warmer and I'm able to do the work in the garage. Can't wait, I've been thinking about it for 5 years now! After seeing so many of your lovely painted cupboards I am going to take the plunge!

Thanks for stopping by!

Be blessed!

Spring Mantel...

2011-03-02T15:08:00.013-05:00

Hi everyone!
I hope you're all enjoying the middle to your week, It's going by so quickly!
I've been busy working on my spring mantel today.

Because I have a corner fireplace, I have a larger mantel to decorate and have to make sure I don't overdo it! All the elements I've used shout out spring to me. Hope you like it!

I wanted to add some freshness with (faux) greens, my white candles, clear glass and a bit of nature with my driftwood candle holder. You can find the driftwood candle holder tutorial here

Love the white green and nature together with some lovely candlelight.

I"ve also added some branches that I usually use in my outdoor urns. I liked the pop of green that they add and our outdoor branches haven't begun to bud yet.
The vase that the branches are in is actually a candle holder turned upside down! Gotta love pottery barn. All these candle holders were 50 % off. Because they're clear glass they fit in with any color and decor.

I love the simple natural beauty of this and will change it up with some starfish and or shells in a couple of months for a summer mantel.

I hope you've enjoyed a look at my Spring mantel.
Thanks for stopping by today!

I'll be partying with these ladies:

Ugly frame, nice bones...

2011-02-26T08:00:00.009-05:00

Hi everyone!

Hope you're all enjoying the weekend!

I wanted to show you a find I picked up @ the Salvation Army this week.

It's a lovely shadow box that I painted, hot glued a little left over wallpaper on and then hot glued some shells to. (Please ignore the little hanging wire popping out! Lol)

What do you think?

This is what it looked like before!

I don't know about you but I think it looked pretty hideous! I walked past this one and noticed it on my second go around. It was an ugly old wooden and gold frame that had the most ugly purple velvet backing with some 3D paper birds inside. I've been frame hunting so this caught my eye.

After looking it over, I realized it was in good shape and I could picture it with a fresh coat of paint. It had good bones!

Sometimes with things as with people you need to stop and take a second look. We may not look so hot on the outside but we have nice bones !

Be Blessed!

I'll be partying with these ladies:

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm
Metamorphosis Monday @ BNOTP

The five minute cushion and faux grain sack

2011-02-21T17:30:00.014-05:00

Hi everyone!
I hope you're all enjoying this long weekend! As most of you celebrate President's Day, we Canadians are celebrating Family Day.

I am celebrating this day by making cushions!

Last week I was watching a local TV show called Cityline. Thursday is Homeday where they give decorating advice, tips etc. A regular on the show, seamstress Mary Dobson did a tutorial on how to make a five minute cushion. She had me at cushion! I love making cushions, you can change a room up with a little bit of fabric and now an extra 5 Minutes!

You can find Mary's Tutorial here!

I also wanted to try making one of these faux grain sack cushions that I've seen in blogland lately.
I used a fabric marker and fabric paint. I have to say the fabric paint turned out better for me.

This is the black one I made. Many of you may not know this but I love black!

I used my favorite dropcloth material for these. Butters is a little upset that my pinecones are preventing him from jumping up on his stool to get to the sofa!

I think it turned out well.

I linked up Mary's tutorial above but thought I'd show you how easy it was!
You begin with 1 piece of fabric.
Just add 2 inches to the width of your insert.
Then double the length of your insert and add 8 inches for your flap.
My inserts were 18x18 so I ended up with a piece of fabric 20x 44 inches.

It actually only takes five minutes after you have cut your fabric and then folded and pressed your seems.
Here I started by pressing my two ends

After the two ends are pressed you will bring down the flap 6 inches right sides together.

You will then bring up the bottom end right up to the top. After this you will hem the sides together. At times three layers of fabric. (Don't worry you can watch the tuorial).

After your two hems are done turn the cover right side out. You will have a little envelope like this, the flap will still be inside out.

Stuff in your insert.

Now you turn over the flap and voila!

You have a quick and easy 5 minute cushion cover.

I had made some other ones with more of a beachy blue color

.

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and thanks for stopping by!

Be Blessed!

I'll be partying with these ladies this week:

Coastal Charm
Between naps on the porch
Faded Charm
My Uncommon slice of Suburbia
A Beach Cottage
Savvy Southern Style
Shabby Chic Cottage
The shabby Nest
My Romantic Home
Funky Junk Interiors
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
French Country Cottage
DIY Showcase

New old thrift table

2011-02-16T17:01:00.009-05:00

Hi Everyone!
First up I wanted to thank you all for the lovely comments on my 24th wedding Anniversary, So sweet!

I found another little table at GW to go with the one I found last fall.

Isn't she cute?

This is what she looked like before!

I gave her a coat of white paint (Ben Moore's Cloud White) and a coat of wipe on polyurethane.
I love the way she looks with my grey baskets. She now sits on the right side of my sofa.

This is the first table I found at GW and posted about it here. I wanted to find another one similiar to this one as she fit in so well.

This is the first table seen here after I did my bookcases post. It sits on the left side of my sofa.

I'd been looking for another table to match the first one and was willing to take the time to find it. I didn't think I would find the exact one and was really excited when I found this one that had the same look and dimensions as the first.

Love her little scallop trim on the bottom.
I think she fits right in.

After my bookcases were put in the family room I had to move some pics and mirrors around and will show the whole room when I replace them. Isn't everything a work in progress? lol

Thanks for stopping by, be blessed!

Will post the rest of the bedroom makeover shortly...stay tuned! Lol

I'll be partying with these ladies this week:

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm
Beach Life Wednesdays @ Beach Cottage
Transformation Thursdays @ The Shabby Chic Cottage
Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple
furniture feature Friday @ MMS
Fabulous Friday finds @frou frou decor
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
Flaunt it Friday @ chic on a shoestring decorating
SNS @ Funky Junk Interiors

Happy Valentines Day and Anniversary!

2011-02-14T13:43:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentines Day!

I hope you all have a wonderful day and share it with someone you love!

I'll be celebrating my 24th wedding anniversary today! Yeah!

I couldn't let this day go by without sharing this scripture:

"For God sooo Loved the world He gave us His Son"

John 3:16

Remember whether you have someone to share this day with or not

YOU ARE LOVED!

Mini Makeover part 3...the headboard

2011-02-11T00:48:00.011-05:00

Hi everyone, I said I would post this today but was called away to see my sick sis. I quickly made my bed and tried to take some pics while I had the light.
Better late than never!

Here is my headboard we were so blessed to get as an old door from our church a few weeks back.

This door was original to our Church building which was built in 1899.

Here is the before. She had a few chips but not enough to make her chippy. I wasn't sure what to do with her and got a lot of suggestions and lovely comments from you all. I thought about removing the old paint but didn't want to get into the whole lead thing. Even after a cleaning she still seemed a little "dirty" looking to me. I knew I had to finish her off in a way that I would feel comfortable spending all my nights with her!

Hubby and I put up some molding on the top to give it a finished look and provide a little shelf. I gave her a couple coats of Ben Moore's "cloud white" which also match the night tables. I wanted to keep the paint color a little uniform to create a sense of space as the room is not that wide on this end.
As soon as I put my first coat of paint on her I knew I had made the right decision for me.
I love it!

Yes, Jack managed to get into another pic! I think he goes so well with the bed!

I added baskets under the table for extra storage space. I placed a couple of lovely crocheted pillow cases I got from GW in there for the pic but I'll be using the baskets for ~~junk~~ magazines and books.

You get to see a pic of Jack and Tara. Seeing Tara in a pic is a rare sight as she is quite camera shy so I thought I would provide you all with the thrill of seeing her. Lol.

She's not shabby or chippy but hey! If you get to be 112 years old you may want a little paint job too! I'm really pleased with how she turned out!

I will probably post a part 4 to this mini makeover because ~~I'm trying to milk it for all it's worth~~ I've got a couple of ideas for my blank wall. Stay tuned!

Be blessed

I'll be partying with these ladies this week:

Transformation Thursdays @ The Shabby Chic Cottage
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous
Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Decorating Shoestring
Show off your cottage Monday @ The house in the roses
Metamorphosis Monday @ BNOTP
The DIY showoff
Show me your style @ In my own Style
Power of Paint Party @ Domestically Speaking
Furniture Feature Friday @ MMS

Mini Makeover Part 2...dropcloth bedskirt

2011-02-09T15:16:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone.
Thanks for the lovely comments regarding my sewing tables to night tables!
I am really pleased with them. They're the perfect size for my room and I love the height. There is also room to place baskets underneath for added storage!

Well, here is part 2 of my little mini makeover.
I've been planning on doing this project for months now as my old bedskirt just wasn't cutting it. There were very few bedskirts that I liked and the ones I did like were too expensive. So...I would have to make my own, back to my old standby fabric, the dropcloth.

Yes that's Jack's tail in the pic. He was all over this bed. He loves to be in the middle of my photo shoots for some reason.lol

Here is the before bedskirt. A little bland eh!

I just love the casual look of dropcloth, wrinkles and all.

Here is a sideview.
Jack thinks it's His bed.

A view from the other side, In case you couldn't tell!

Jack says thanks for visiting and admiring ~~His~~ my new bedskirt.

Stay tuned for tomorrow when l reveal what I did with that 112 year old door/headboard!

Be blessed!

I'll be partying with these ladies:

Wow us Wednesdays Party @ Savvy Southern Style
Good Life Wednesdays @ Beach cottage

Sewing table to night table and bedroom mini makeover...

2011-02-08T20:37:00.006-05:00

Happy Tuesday everyone!
I was busy last weekend working on a bedroom mini makeover!
Here is a part of the makeover.

I had found an old sewing table a few months back and thought what a great night table it would make! It cost twenty dollars without the sewing machine in it. I spent the following months trying to find one to match it from a thriftstore. I finally found another one this weekend. It came with the sewing machine in it and was thirty-five dollars, too much for me but it was 50% off Fridays so it only cost me seventeen dollars!

You can see here in an old post what I had been using as night stands before. They were two little metal tables from IKEA. While they held most necessities, It dwarfed in comparison to my kingsize bed. My bed is quite high and I wanted a table that would be high as well.

I painted both tables in my favourite white, Ben Moore's Cloud White. This table had three little diamond shapes on the front which I removed. I may add a knob to match it with the table on the right.

You can see the before pic of one of the tables here in an old post. You can also see those little diamonds on the front, a little too retro for me!

I removed the knob the table came with and added a little pink glass knob.

Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned tomorrow when I reveal my new bedskirt!

Be Blessed!

I'll be partying with these ladies this week:

New thrift mirror and dining room spruce up...

2011-02-02T18:15:00.015-05:00

Hi everyone!
I hope you're all enjoying the wonderful weather we're having! Lol
All kidding aside I hope everybody is safe as weather all over the world is a little crazy right now.

The snow has stopped here in Southern Ontario and I'm hunkered down in front of the fire with my laptop.

I was at the Salvation Army this week and found this lovely mirror. I took it out of the garage today and introduced it into the dining room.

I took out my white frame and coffee filter wreath I had in there from Christmas and replaced it with
my thrift find.

.

I have two armoires in the dining room that I use to house extra plates, platters and dishes that the kitchen doesn't have room for.
The square basket is a file holder and holds all our files and the round basket is filled with magazines.

My daughter has told me no more plates! She says we don't have anymore room! Do you think there is a problem?! lol

I gave this wooden frame a wash of white primer, let it dry and gave it a light sanding.

I couldn't help but add a pic of lavender that I have on top of my armoires. I love lavender.

I took out some of the winter themed accessories and spruced up the room with some lovely dried hydrangeas.

Hydrangeas are another love.

I think the mirror picks up on the wood of the dining room table and helps tie the room together.What do you think?

Thanks for dropping by for a visit!

Be blessed!

I'll be linking up with these ladies:

Twice Owned Tuesdays
Good life Wednesdays
White Wednesdays
Winter Blues Wednesday
Transformation Thursdays
Boring to Better Party
Show and Tell Friday
The Shabby Nest Frugal Friday
Flaunt it Fridays

Looking for a pop of green while waiting for spring?

2011-01-28T14:37:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! It's Friday!!!

I don't know about you but I am really craving a pop of green right about now. It's all white outside and You all know how I love white but...I need some green!

I usually buy flowers to brighten things up but they are a little pricey right now so instead of buying those lovely flowers I decided to add some spring like color using apples.

Look at how pretty this little apple centerpiece is and it's edible!

I did a little photoshopping on this photo to really make the green pop! I must say that my daughters have already eaten a few bits from my centerpiece.

Just makes everything so fresh!

Here I am playing with my camera and trying to achieve bokeh. That green really pops!

Jack is enjoying the pop of green too!

Yeah he is lying on the table. I know, I know, but if you were as cute as he is I'd let you lay on my table too! lol.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Sign tutorial and more inspiration...

2011-01-26T17:02:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone!
. A number of you have asked for a tutorial for the GROCERIES sign I posted a couple days ago. I was a little hesitant because for the most part I NEVER REALLY KNOW WHAT I'M DOING! lol here.

I look at how things are made and I try to replicate what I see or what I want. I try to find tutorials on the subject pick out the parts that are the easiest for me to do and try to use products that I already have on hand.

So here it goes. Please take from this what you want and discard

anything you don't.

Some of you asked if the wooden board was already old. I actually bought this with hubby last spring at the HD to attach lattice to on the bottom of our deck. We never used it and it's been sitting in our garage since then. It is pressure treated wood so it has a bit of a green tint that doesn't show well in the pics.

This is the before.

For this project I used some acrylic paint in white and black, some verathane stain I had left over from my breakfast nook table, a sanding block, paint brushes, scissors, pencil, a bowl of water, and old saucer to mix my paints, and the lettering that I got form my word program.

I started by painting my board with the white paint, I mixed the paint with water to give the board a color wash. You can add more color/water as you need. I just wanted the wood to look a little aged but you could certainly make it more opaque.

You can see the difference here between the color wash and the original board.

While the board was drying I picked out my font and size for the lettering, printed them out and then cut them out. (originally I thought I could find some stencils and stencil the letters on but they were limited in size and font and were too expensive. It may have been a little less time consuming but you have more options by printing the letters out yourself and much cheaper!)
(Since posting this I've received a really good tip! Instead of doing all the cutting, use a ball point pen and trace over the letters with a bit of pressure. You could also use tracing paper! Who knew? apparently some of you and not me! lol)

Once they are all cut out, I placed and spaced them evenly.

I then took a pencil and traced each one out. I thought that this would be difficult considering the paper was so thin and flimsy but it was quite easy using both hands and it took me about ten minutes to trace them all out.

After they are all traced out. I painted them. I mixed a little of the white and black together for a more charcoal color so it would look a little more aged as opposed to stark black. Here again you can you can use so many different colors, mixes etc. to get the look you want.

After all the letters were dry, I used a little bit of my stain to add a little more aging, texture etc. I used an old cloth and just added it randomly, wiping most of it off.
(Marian at MMS has a great glaze/stain that she uses and I think I will try that one next time. She mentions how some glaze/stain can look like a bronzer and orangey, my stain did this slightly but I was able to work it in well.)

Once the stain is dry you can begin to sand and distress your board. This is the fun part as it really adds that aged look to your sign.
( I'd like to add that at this point if you feel you need to you can add more paint, stain etc. I added a little of my gray water left in the bowl from mixing to do a soft wash over some places that were unever and it just added to the rustic look of it).

You could also beat the heck out of it if you feel it needs it! lol

I'm hoping you will all try your hand at this as it's a lot of fun and very rewarding.

For some more inspiration I have a couple of signs that I seen this week and loved!

Look at what Marian from MMS did this week! Loving this Lions coffee sign Look at the old hardware that she left on.

This is what my lovely friend Robin from Happy at Home painted.

Isn't it great! We'll have to ask Robin how she did it. I love it!

Ali at My Third True Love is a new follower of mine and while visiting her blog I seen this. This is her first sign too!

Jaime over at That's My Letter has posted a great tutorial for this lovely sign as well.

She traces over the letters as opposed to cutting them all out. Makes it much easier!

Last but certainly not least is Lori from Frugal Farmhouse Design. Her sign was also inspiration for my GROCERIES sign. Lori does awesome work on very tight budgets!

Hope this has helped to inspire you to start creating and restoring!
Be blessed and thanks for visiting!

New Sign

2011-01-24T18:26:00.011-05:00

Hello everyone!
I hope you all had a great weekend.
I was busy working on finishing up my other Ikea bookcase and making this new sign!
I really like it.
Whadda ya think?

I've seen signs like this around blogland and from fleamarket style's header
in particular. I've wanted to make one for a while now and finally took the plunge. There's no stopping me now. I've got big plans for other signs!

I was thinking of placing it above the cupboards here. The wallpaper will eventually be removed and...I'm going to start painting my cupboards in the spring. A big job and I'm hoping the whole family will get involved!

This is a close up of the sign, you can see where I distressed it to make it look a little more vintage.

Here is the other bookcase just finished.

I'm still in the midst of dressing these shelves.

I got these little wire baskets from homesense and added a little bit of paint to anitque them a bit.
They're great for holding magazines.

Here is my sign again on the sofa.(Can you tell I like this sign? I just carry it around the house with me! Lol)
I've got some ideas for other signs and will keep you posted.
Blessings on you all and thanks for stopping by!

I'll be partying with these ladies this week.

Between naps on the porch, Metamorphosis Monday
Coastal Charm, Nifty thrifty tuesdays
House of Grace, Twice owned Tuesday
Domestically Speaking, Power of Paint Party
A Beach Cottage, Good life Wesnesdays
The Shabby chic cottage, Transformation thursdays
My Romantic Home, Show and tell Friday
The Shabby Nest, Frugal Friday
Funky Junk Interiors, Sat nite Special
Under the table and dreaming, Sunday showcase party

Giveaway Winner!!!!!!

2011-01-21T22:15:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! I've been excited all evening waiting to choose the winner for this giveaway. You'd think I was getting the prize!
I'm pretty much computer illiterate and was not sure how to get to that random generator whatchamacallit!
I asked my daughter Hope to pick a number from 1-94 from a glass. She's pretty shy and did not want to be a star in blogland so here is the results of the draw.
The lucky winner is:
#57 Heather Ryan
please email me with some info so I can contact you and send you your prize.
Congratulations!

Thanks everyone for participating in my first giveaway, it was a lot of fun.

Have a great weekend!

Old door new headboard...

2011-01-19T02:43:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone!
I hope you are all having a wonderful start to the week.

If you are a follower, please leave me a comment telling me so to enter my giveaway that ends Friday night!

I've been thinking about getting a headboard , well probably making my own. I've been tossed between making one and slipcovering it in...well...white of course or maybe adding a little vintage wood. I love all those vintage ones out there made of gates and fences etc. but where would I find one of those at a reasonable price?

A few months ago our Pastor told us that the fire marshall had come in and our church that was built in 1899 would have to get our old 112 year old vintage doors replaced with new fire doors!

To make a long story short, I got to take one of those lovely doors home. Here was the headboard I've been looking for!

My husband, daughter and I spent an hour or so hanging this baby, It weighs about 150 lbs.!
It came painted in white. Not sure what kind of wood is underneath but it is solid.

Well here she is! ( I always genderize my new finds!)
In these pics I was going for that lovely unmade bed look but didn't really achieve it. But you get the idea!
Yes, I know, I also need a new bedskirt and nightstands, that's in the project book.

Here is the top end of the door. You can see some of the 2x4 that is helping to support it, this will be painted out...eventually! lol

This is the bottom end with some chips and scuffs.

In this pic you can see that someone painted over it unevenly with a different paint finish.

(I do add some colour and pattern to my bed by way of throw pillows, just not in these pics!)

I was thinking of adding some trim at the top maybe giving it a little ledge with molding.
I was also thinking about giving it a good paint job and maybe adding some contrast with another color/glaze.

I'm actually afraid to distress it due to the fact that there is old paint on it and most old paint was made with lead!
Still not sure what to do with her but I think she needs a little something.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to enter the giveaway!

I'll be partying with|:

A big THANKS and giveaway!

2011-01-15T13:50:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone and happy Saturday!

This is my first giveaway to celebrate my 300 Followers! Wow! that is still shocking to me.
I remember when I started my blog a few months ago, getting from 1-10 took sooo long. I wondered if I should just quit, was anyone even reading?
My daughter Hope posted this little verse from Job on the chalkboard, I grabbed it and held on!

So, just to say...

And to share a little...

I'm offering up a few little things from Michael's craft store. Nothing fancy here, but It is something I really enjoy using and I thought you might too.

You'll get these little alphabet rubber stamps, an ink pad, some label stickers, as well as a little pack of notes.
I told you, nothing fancy, just a little token of my appreciation.

You have two chances to win:

1. Be a follower and leave a comment letting me know that you are a follower.
2. Post this giveaway on your blog, facebook or twitter and leave a separate comment letting me know.

This giveaway will close Friday the 21st at 9pm EST

Blessings and thanks for allowing me to share with you all!

Painted IKEA bookcase...

2011-01-12T15:19:00.009-05:00

Hi everyone. Well, It took me a few days but I finally finished this project (my back can only handle so much painting! lol)
Thanks for giving me your suggestions for which wallpaper to use. I think almost everyone chose the blue damask which had been my favourite too. As you can see, I added the wallpaper to the back of the bookcase to give some added colour and pattern. It will also make any white I may place there pop. And I do like white you know!
I was originally looking for some extra storage space for my linen and had these two ikea bookshelves in my basement. I thought they wold look great with a coat of paint on em first.
I then came up with the bright idea of placing them in my family room. I needed some extra shelf space to put all my ~~junk from too much thrifting~~ little treasures.

Isn't it pretty?

You can see here from an earlier post that I had my round mirror hanging in that corner. Because there is a heat vent behind the sofa, the sofa needs to come away from the wall about a foot. This leaves a bit of dead space on either side of the sofa/window that needed to be filled with something!

This is what the bookself looked like before paint. I actually like this colour of stain but I find it hard to leave things unpainted!

After painting, I gave a light sanding to add a little distressed look. With the pretty wallpaper I didn't want the bookshelf to look too " precious".

Yes I know, my blue pinecones again, but they smell so pretty and and are so lovely to look at!

I've also added some of my beadspreads to the bottom shelves. The colours work so well and it's always nice to have some warm blankets on these cold winter nights.

In this pic, you can really see the wallpaper.

Here you can see the before and after together. Looks like I have more painting to do! Uggh!

It actually looks so cozy in the room and I'm so pleased to have all this extra space for my ~~junk~~ treasures!

Thanks for stopping by, I do enjoy your visits!

I'll be partying with these ladies this week:

A little peek...

2011-01-11T16:21:00.000-05:00

Here is a little peek into what I'm working on right now! Hopefully it will be done by tomorrow...fingers crossed!
I'm trying to decide between these 3 different wallpapers, I love them all! They won't be going on walls though.

I've primed and painted and now I have to choose...

Here is an even bigger peek!
(Please ignore my teeny shade on the big lamp, I'm still searching for the right shade.)

I'll see you tomorrow!

A few Thrift finds...

2011-01-11T02:10:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! Just a quick post to show a few of my little thrift finds this week, as well as to give a big THANKS to all of you who have allowed me to share a little bit of my life with you!
With 300 followers I think it's time for a giveaway! I'm just not sure what it will be! Lol
I'm trying to come up with an idea and should have something posted this week.

I found these little coasters for 1.99 at value village. Love em, they are very coastal don't you think?

Along with a bag of these shells.

One of my weaknesses are clear glass vases. I've become a little more selective lately, ~~due to the fact that I~~ ~~have one on every flat surface in my home~~, and only choose ones with a good heavy glass and unique shapes. This one is about 18 inches high and came loaded with shells!

I removed the shells and replaced them with some more wintry themed baubles. (I'm saving the shells for my spring/summer look and can't wait to take them out!)

My daughter asked what was I thinking when I got this...

How could I pass this up for $3.99?

Look at all it's lovely features and...I may have a grandchild someday!?

There were no nails used on this, it's put together with wood and looks quite old. Still don't know what to do with it!

Yes that is my cat on the table! Oh my Aunt would drop dead if she seen this! The animals just love when I'm fussing about taking pics and whatnot. He is also being used as a prop to give you an idea of the size of this chair. I just love it!

I'm working on a project for tomorrow and had a little sneak peek of it but the pic didn't upload/download?
Anyways, you will see it tomorrow...and I'm also working on that 300 follower giveaway! Stay tuned...

Thrift find makeover

2011-01-06T19:00:00.014-05:00

Hello everyone! I guess this is my first project of the new year and I'm excited to share it with you.
I found this little stool at Value Village for $12.99 and couldn't pass it up!
I used drop cloth again to cover it and added a little frilly skirt. I think it looks cute.

This is what it looked like before:

Jack was nice enough to let me set it in front of his chair for a pic!

In reality, this little stool belongs to Butters.

The stool is for Butters to use as a little step to get up on the sofa. Sometimes Butters slips on the floors when he trys to jump up on the sofa so he cries for us to lift him up. Now he has the freedom to get up on the sofa all by himself.
Here he is with his blanket and "bear" which he dragged up via the stool.

Everyone needs a stool on the mantel! Lol

As well as a stool on the table!

Thanks for joining me (and my furry little friends) today!

I will be partying with a few of these ladies this week:

A few random pics from my new NIKON D90!!

2011-01-03T21:00:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! I've been busy the last few days trying to clean up from the remains of Christmas and New years as well as learning how to work my new Nikon D90! I'm so excited about my new camera...and also, a little afraid!
It is quite intimidating to look at (oops, should have shown you all a pic of it, but I'm sure you all have the general idea.)
I'm up to my ears in aperature, depth of field, shutter speed and whatnot, hardly know what any of that means but I'm working on figuring it out!
I'v also been working on tuning up this blog but have to admit I am so computer illiterate! I still have to make a button and don't have a clue how to do it, (If any of you know an EASY way of describing how to do it I'd sure appreciate it.) Kristin at My uncommon slice of Suburbia just posted some how to's which were great but I'm still not understanding the whole button thing, its very frustrating.
I thought I'd better change my header due to all the Christmas content, and just used some of my practice pics. I may change it again as I take new pics

Here is Butters my little chihuahua, how adorable is that little face?

Yes...yes, I STILL have some greenery up in the kitchen.

I love lavender and the pic turned out pretty good.

Ok, this pic was taken the other night and it is not very good I know but I was too lazy to take another and wanted to show you all my garbage find. I seen this ladder by the side of the road while Butters and I were walking the other night and had to take it home. It is a pale grey with chippy paint and apparently belonged to "Dale" lol
My husband seen it standing there in the morning and said "what a find!" I thought he would just say "oh you found some more garbage" I was so impressed that he could appreciate the vintage aspect of my little find! He is learning!
BTW, the greenery and Christmassy stuff is all down from the family room.

My big boy Jack.

Just some more randomness.

Thanks for joining me today with my ramblings and random pics. Will have some projects for you soon. I have so much to do!

I'll be partying with these ladies:

Best of 2010 Projects

2010-12-31T01:14:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the last couple days of 2010!
I've been enjoying looking at all the top 10 and best projects of 2010 and can't believe how gifted you all are! You have been so inspiring and am so glad to have come across so many wonderful and generous people.
I've only been blogging for a few months now but have a few of my own little projects to share!

This driftwood candle holder was one of the first tutorial projects I did.

This is what it looked like before all the pretty lights. I also did this with my birch log I used on my Christmas mantel.
.

This chair was the first reupholstery job I've ever tried! The most difficult part was removing old staples...Ughh. But I think she turned out lovely.

This is what she looked like before I painted and reupholstered her using drop cloths.

I loved this little table that only needed a couple of coats of paint and a little sanding.

This is what she looked like before all the paint.

This was one of my favourites projects. I got this table with 6 chairs for $50.00 on kijiji.

This is what she looks like now and sits proudly in my little breakfast nook.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my little corner of the world and I look forward to sharing much more with you all in 2011!

I'll be partying with these ladies for the rest of the year! lol

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T15:52:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and a Thank You to all!

These last few months have been a real roller coaster ride for me. It's been scary, busy and exciting!

I've met so many awesome ladies, made some new friends and am so greatful and appreciative for you all. Thank you for making my first few months in blogland so rewarding.

I pray that this Christmas season will be a time of faith, family and fun!

Chair redo wrap up...

2010-12-20T19:22:00.011-05:00

Hello everyone!
I bought this chair a couple of months ago and it took me that long to remove the staples from it!
Here it is! I still want to do a little "roughing up" to it but I hate sanding and have put it off for now.
I've added some of my Christmas wrapping to spruce it up.

Here is the before. I got it from the GW.

It was my first reupholstering job! I had no directions but just took pics of each layer removed and how she was put together. I gave her a quick coat of primer and then painted her in Benjamin Moore's Cloud white. I covered her with drop cloth from the HD better known as "Poor man's linen".

I wrapped the gifts in white postal paper and simply added some jute twine and little bells. I stamped the names right on the package.

I love these little pinecones covered in scented wax. They are over a year old and still smell so nice!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Ill be partying with these ladies this week!

Christmas baking and cheesecake fiasco...

2010-12-17T01:10:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I decided to start some Christmas baking today and thought I would make a cheesecake. I usually use my aunt's recipe but it was lost when she moved recently. I thought I would get a recipe from one of the many sites online.

I got out my trusty old Kitchenaid mixer that I love!

I started with a graham cracker crust.

Then I mixed all 4 packages of cream cheese with sugar.

This is where it all went wrong!
I've seen on cooking shows when using eggs that they are broken in a bowl first and then poured into a mixture, however...I was in a hurry and felt like an iron chef and decided to crack them over the mixer. That's how one egg shell fell in the batter and was mixed up with all the wonderful cheese and sugar!
I quickly stopped the mixer and...held back the tears...all that wonderful cream cheese, ten dollars worth!
After I regained my compsure, I proceeded to wade through the batter and tried to pick out all the eggshells. I'm still hoping I got them all out.

Then I poured the batter into the crust.

Set upon a baking pan ( this is my old crusty trusty one)
Placed in a preheated oven for 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees

I removed it from the oven and let it cool and then refrigerated overnight.
I won't bother you with the recipe because I used a combination of two!
Suffice it to say, it was pretty close to the recipe that comes on the package of Philadelphia cream cheese.

It looks great but I hope I got all those eggshells out!

Thanks for stopping by!

More Christmas...

2010-12-12T18:18:00.016-05:00

Hello everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the weekend. I have a little more Christmas decorating to show you but first I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all!

I now have 100 Followers!

I know it's just a number but it shows that you all cared about and liked what you saw enough to take time out to hit the follow button. It means a lot to me and I'm very greatful to you all!

I managed to finish my Christmas decorating today and ended up in the dining room. I have a mantel in here and didn't digress too much from my theme in the family room. I continued using greens, pinecones and some sparkle which came from lights and candles.

At one end of the dining room I have the mantel and my montauk. The montauk is a beast of a chair or as some may know it... a chair and a half! It is all down filled and is so comfy!

I added some pointsettias in white!

I continued using birch as well and I made one of my little logs into a candle holder in the same way I did with my driftwood candle holder. The tutorial for that is here.http://bringrestoration.blogspot.com/2010/10/driftwood-candle-holder-tutorial.html

I added this lovely planter with greens, birch logs, pinecones and battery operated lights.

I have my harvest table in the middle of the room. I just draped it in a red toile PB table runner and placed some candles on it with a bit of greenery.

At the other end of the room, I have two armoires that I use for storage as my kitchen is really small and lacks a lot of space. You can see where I finally put my coffee filter wreath! I love draping greenery everywhere.

These are my paper whites in all their glory!

My tree is in the family room. It's all in whites, creams and some pale gold. I don't know if you can see but I used a burlap bow as a tree topper. I usually don't put one on.

I went for a walk yesterday in the park and manged to find all kinds of birch bark on the ground. It was everywhere! (No trees were harmed in the making of this candle craft)lol.

I simply wrapped the birch bark around the candles and attached with push pins.

Here is the tree all lit up.

I wanted to show you the tree unlit as it looks so pretty with the green and white. I love it both ways!

These little buckets flanked my fireplace in the family room which I photographed in my mantel post.

I draped both windows in a cedar mixed garland.

I hope you all enjoyed some more Christmas decorating!

I'll be partying with these ladies this week...

I've Been Featured!!

2010-12-09T16:54:00.000-05:00

I've Been Featured!!!!

I want to thank Michelle over at Emerald Cove for featuring me on her blog today!

Michelle has been so gracious and encouraging, please take a look when you get a chance.

I would also like to thank Bonnie at House of Grace and

Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

for featuring my breakfast nook table this week!

I'm so greatful for all the gifted and supportive women I've met here in blogland!

Annual Gingerbread House...

2010-12-09T02:03:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!
For years my daughters and I have made a gingerbread house every Christmas.

When we first started our tradition, I would design my own house, bake it and we would put it together with the myriad of candies we would buy from the bulk store.
Once I went back to school and then to work I discovered these wonderful little kits with everything included! So easy!

We've managed to keep the tradition alive (unlike our annual tree cutting which ended last Christmas which I won't go into now because I may start sobbing.)
So...even though my daughters are in their twenties they managed to make one of these...

Isn't it lovely? Complete with accompanying laughter, candy- eating -with -me- yelling- at -them- not- to and cat -playing -with -tiny- ball- candy!

I think they did a wonderful job! (much better than my girlfriend's and my attempt a couple weeks ago with two kits of our own!)

Thanks for joining me today and yes even when they're older you still display their artwork like it's the greatest creation ever!

Christmas Coffee filter Wreath...

2010-12-05T20:29:00.012-05:00

Hello everyone!
We've seen them all over blogland lately...those wonderful coffee filter wreaths. They've come in different colours, some coffee stained, some tea stained, some au naturel and I love them all!
I just had to make my own. I don't know if I did something wrong but this little gal took me
over 3 hours to make!
I used a green foam base, don't know how many filters I used as I didn't count! And a glue gun. It's the first time I've used in a glue gun in years! And I have the burns to prove it!

I've been wondering where I should put it. It was a toss up between the breakfast nook and over the dining room mantel.

Here she is

She is so pretty that she looks good just resting on the table...

or on the wainscotting...

I think I might hang her in the breakfast nook on the pation doors. They're not the most attractive doors so I don't know if I want to highlight them...

Then I thought maybe over the mantel in my dining room, (not decorated completely yet).

Does it kind of overpower the mirror? What do you think?

Thanks for visiting and taking another look at another coffee filter wreath!

I'll be partying with these ladies this week.

Christmas mantel ...

2010-12-02T13:44:00.004-05:00

My Mantel has been done for a week or so and my greens are a little wilted now. I may still change it up but here it is for now!
I really wanted to stick with my old stand by of light and sparkle juxtaposed against the rustic birch and pine cones. Love that look.

I took pics with the lights on and off.

The weather has been rainy and it was very dark, not the best for taking pics, but my little point and shoot did ok. (Hoping for something a little better under the Christmas Tree this year! Fingers crossed)

I flanked the fireplace with these two little buckets. I had a vintage galvanized bucket but couldn't find another one so I bought this little guy on the left at the dollar store. I was going to cover them both in burlap but used the burlap for the bottom of my tree.

It is a winter wonderland mess but I really like it.

This wreath was the only item I bought new for the mantel. It was $16.00, I had everything else. I just loved the sparkle, which doesn't show well in the pics.

I bought these little battery operated lights that fit so nicely into my buckets. It looks really magical at night when they are lit up.

Hope you enjoyed your visit!

My First Bloggy land Award!

2010-11-30T02:50:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody, I just won my first bloggy land award from Sue at Beach Bungalow! Sue was my first follower and has helped me along on this wonderful journey of blogging! Thanks sue for this award! You can go take a peek at her lovely blog.

In accepting this award I must:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded me this.

2. Share 8 things about myself.

3. Pay it forward to 8 bloggers I've recently discovered.

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about their awards.

Here are 8 Kim facts:

1. I married my best friend and we will be celebrating # 24 in a couple of months.

2. I have 3 lovely daughters named Charity, Faith and Hope. (No I am not a hippy! Lol)

3 With names like that you can guess that I love the bible and have a strong faith in Jesus.

4. I love to travel and have been to some places where I have literally prayed "God don't let me die here!" lol.

5. I've travelled to some places where I have prayed "God I could die here"!

6. After 28 years of swearing we would never get a dog, my daughter Faith walked in the door with a puppy...and I was smitten! He is a long haired chihuahua named Butters and I heart him!

7. I love to live by the water. My parents and their parents and so on...were all born on a small island in the atlantic.

8. I love to blog and am so impressed with the giftedness I see everyday here in blogland!

Now I need to give this award to 8 others. You can check them out too!

AKA Design
Fern Creek Cottage
Shells Shabby Shack
And Then There was Home

Cozy.Cottage.Cute

Sweet as June
Desire to Decorate
JunkRestore