Hiatus

As you probably know by now, I am on a much needed hiatus.  

I am trying to get a few important things done and in the process hoping to get my creative mojo back.  

But did want to wish all of you a Happy Easter and if you celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful time!

Table Top

This table top comes from my entry way.  I change the top of this cabinet often. It is right as you come through the front door.  The cabinet is great for storage, I store my glass containers in it (I have a lot).

  

It has green chipping paint and is one of my favorites!

 We have some hydrangea bushes in our back yard that I planted last year.  I dried some of the blooms when they were this fabulous green shade!

 

I would like to change the sconces, but have been unable to find any I like at a reasonable price.  If you know of any places to look let me know.  Otherwise I might have to try and make my own.

I used a vintage clip-on earring to hold the photo of my wee ones.  These make great magnets too!

Thanks again for stopping by and let me know if you have a secret source for sconces.

Oh, Pinterest....

If you use Pinterest you will want to read this: Pinterest policies  I have deleted my boards and taken my side button away.  I am really sad about this, I love their site for its inspiration and creativity.  But I don't want the responsibility of it.  

I will use it again if these policies change.

Just wanted to make you aware.

Tuesday Tip-Smoothies

I am not sure how many of you are fans of the deliciousness of smoothies, but I am.  I have at least 1 a day.  They are very good for the body.  It gives your digestive system a break, but you still get all the vitamins and nutrients.  

Any-hoo I am not trying to convince you to like them like I do, but if you are a fan and make them here is a tip......

When I make a smoothie, I do it one of two ways, either with milk or water.  

When I use water I steep some tea, usually a stronger tea, like peppermint or chai.   Then instead of plain water I use the tea.  This gives the smoothy some extra flavor and freshness. 

Also smoothies are wonderful in the summer.  

And if your feeling a bit naughty.....add some Vodka!

Lord Have Mercy

I just have to say that last week was a nightmare to say the least.  

The friday before last I awoke with a toothache.  It was agonizing pain and for the record I am not a cry baby when it comes to pain.  I gave birth to 3 children naturally, but I think the constant pain from that tooth was far more unbearable. 

By Saturday I was in agony, no amount of tylenol/ibuprofen was helping.  I stayed in bed and tried to sleep through it.  I asked my husband to put a pillow over my face and smother me.  

He wouldn't. 

But he did go to the store and find Ora-gel, that stuff is a miracle!!  It saved my life........no seriously!  

My husband called our dentist and said that he could see me Monday first thing, but then he called back on Monday morning and said it would have to be in the afternoon.  I went in and he took an x-ray.  Long story short, I needed a root canal!  I had to go to an Endodontist, who specializes in root canals.  He could only find 2 of the 3 canals that molars have.  It was a long uncomfortable process. So after some drugs and rest, I am feeling amazingly better.

Now I just have to go see the sports med. doc. about all the pain I have from working out!!  Man it's hell to get old........................ 

Tuesday Tip-Nature

I love natural elements.  

I use nature in my home and designs often.  It is the perfect decor, it is interesting, textural, colorful and usually free.  What could be better than free??  

Nature is fascinating and beautiful, therefore makes your home interesting and beautiful!

Bringing in nature can be as easy as plants or flowers.  It can also be a little more complicated, such as wood in cabinets and furniture or flooring, either way it is an ideal way to warm up a space.

Tuesday Tip-Bottles and Jars

Glass is great!  

It is beautiful, neutral, easy to clean and it sparkles.  I use glass bottles and jars for so many things in my home.  I recycle most of them or buy them second hand.

So many products in stores come in glass containers.  They are great for storage and because I buy the same items over and over, I have quantities of the same size.  These look great for open storage.  All lined up perfect in a row!  

I know I have a little OCD. :]

  Here are just a few ideas:

These are peanut butter jars and spaghetti jars, with the metal lids painted red. 

Old apothecary bottles with pencils and bobby pins, just shake bottle upside down to get them out! 

Sometimes I see jars without lids, but I buy them anyway.  Then I find lids later.

And of course, just as interesting and beautiful decor.

How do you use old or recycled bottles?

Happy Valentine's Day

  I give my children a Valentine's gift every year.  This year I got the idea from another blog I read and decided to do it for my children.  I think they turned out pretty cute and the kids got a kick out of them.

My husband and I don't celebrate Valentine's Day, but if you do I hope you have a wonderful one. 

Table Top

Sorry this is so late.  I think I lost my brain last week.  I kept forgetting what day it was!  Until last night when my husband reminded me that it was movie night, which is always on friday.  So I think that every year I get older, a piece of my brain falls out. LOL

Anyway here is a table top from our bathroom.  We remodeled this bathroom 3 years ago and I still love it.  We have a claw-foot tub in there and we needed a place to put bath "stuff".  

I found this darling table at a second hand store and it was the perfect size for the bath.  It fit great and had 3 shelves for storage.

I love the chippy paint!

The enamel "soap" bowl holds, well soap and a couple of starfish.  There is some bath oil, lavender bath salt and a silver match box holder for candles.  The glass insulator has a candle under it.

The middle shelf holds wash clothes and the bottom shelf has a cast iron planter that hold wood scrubbers.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sideboard

I received a few emails about the finish on my sideboard and some wanted a few detailed pictures of it.  

This sideboard came from my mother-in-law.  As I stated in the previous post it was in bad condition, but I loved, loved its sexy legs and the storage possibilities.  I knew that I was not going to be using it in the dining room and that it would be perfect for the front room.

The finish was bad and I did not have the patience to restore it or the resources at the time, so I painted it and replaced the top with vintage Carrara marble.  At the time, 7 years ago, I liked the crackle finish that was popular, but I did not like the preciseness of it.  I wanted it to look more random and worn.

  So when I painted it,  I sprayed it with water in a spray bottle and used a paint sprayer with white paint.  The water made it so the paint didn't stick everywhere and sort of ran a little.  I loved the look of it, so it stayed.  

The marble top was from the salvage yard that I worked at.  It was taken from an old building, where it was used as wainscoting, nice!  We, my husband and I cut it down to fit.  The pulls and knobs are from Potter Barn in bronze, these were only changed because the originals were broken and one was missing.  

Like I said in the original post, it stores candles, accessories, and pillow covers.

  It is very practical and beautiful!

I am linking up to Furniture Feature Friday, The Charm of Home, At the Picket Fence, Stuff and Nonsense, Common Ground, 2805, French Country Cottage, The Vintage Farm House, French Cupboard, Romantic Home, No Minimalist Here,
Cedar Hill ranch, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia


Check them out!

2 YEARS......No Way

Apparently I have been blogging for 2 years as of yesterday.  

I seriously can not believe it!!!

I am not a diligent blogger by any means, but I am trying to get better.  I have a hard time thinking of things to blog about.  And a harder time finding time to sit at the computer!

I started this blog to chronicle my design business and ideas, but most clients don't feel comfortable having their homes on the internet, so that bombed.  Then I have randomly been blogging about whatever is going on or projects I am doing.  I have been trying to get my ideas out on the blog, that not only helps my brain, but also helps preserve my ideas and is a good resource to look back on.

So that being said, in honor of my 2 year anniversary, I am asking what you as readers want me to blog about.  I need some great ideas!  

AND to reward you for helping me with this quest, I will offer you a 15% discount to my Etsy store.

I am really hopping to make this blog blossom and I would love to blog about things you my blog friends are interested in.

Thanks you so much for you help!!!

*you have one week to help me out, I will send you the coupon code once you comment, ends Saturday, Feb. 4th at 5:oo p.m. mountain time*

Table Top

It has been gloomy all week.  It is rainy today, so I have not been able to photograph my table top.  

Ya know, no natural light, crapy photos!

  So I decided to show some of my favorite tops from the web.  Enjoy!!!

via

via

not a table top, but I love it so much!

simple

I am not sure who to credit on these.  If you know any let me know!

Table Top

We have had this sideboard for years.  My mother-in-law gave it to us when she was getting rid of a bunch of furniture.  It needed a bit of work when we got it, one of it's legs was broken, it was missing a center piece of wood, the handles were missing or broken and the veneer was peeling from the top.  We fixed the leg and center piece of wood, I bought new handles for it from Pottery Barn and we put a marble top on it.  I love how it looks now and we have it sitting in our front room.  I store candles, pillow covers and some accessories in it. I wanted to share how I have the top decorated, well at this moment anyway.  It changes all the time.

I made the lamp from a rusty old wind turbine roof vent that I got at the salvage yard.  You saw me make the mirror here.  The other mirror is an antique I found in a second hand shop.

   

I made the welcome sign from an old door.

The log has tiny conks growing on it and the ironstone pitcher is holding a few fern leaves.

The cloche sits on an old column base and an amazing birdhouse, that my sister makes for my Etsy shop, sits inside.

I love how fresh this looks for the New Year, but that could change!  I am fickle like that.  ; )

Giveaway

Katie Evans is hosting a giveaway on her website K. Evans Photography for a workshop she teaches at 6 different locations.  She is an amazing photographer, so if she is in one of your cities you should head to her site and enter her giveaway ASAP!!

Table Top

Table setting for three.  

I used a vintage table cloth.  I love the colors and graphics in old linens, especially from the 50's.  I used some ironstone platters for chargers.  The napkins are dish towels from Ikea and the wood containers are old fruit baskets.  

I use milk bottles all the time for serving water, juice, soda and even milk sometimes.