Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Merry Christmas to All!

I wish you all a Merrrrrry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.  Here are a few pictures of Christmas decor and some new things for the family room. This picture is dark but I was trying to capture the lights.


New valance and lace for the family room window. I have the same valance in the dining room because I like it so much. 
Chandelier for the family room . It's cheap and doesn't take up alot of room. He-he. 

Merry Christmas!!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Who has time for Christmas?

I know, who in their right mind would attempt a room redo during Christmas time?  Well the walls are painted and the sofa has a new slipcover. The room is nowhere near done. More slipcovers on the way and window treatments too.  All neutral with ice blue accents. When I get to my Christmas decorating in January (he-he) I'll show you that too. 


Thursday, November 19, 2009

A little Glimmer

I am starting on a family room redo. Now it is sage green and mauve but I am changing it to white, taupe, and grey blue. This is my first project. The table is modern but it was an unfinished piece that I already owned so I'm using it. It has a display drawer in the top.
I painted the whole thing cream and rubbed a metallic champagne color over the top in three coats. It really glimmers in the evening with the lights on. 
I picked up these porcelain doll heads at the flea market over the summer. I laid them on top of a layer of vintage buttons on a beautiful vintage tray.  Hubby said " Is that for Halloween, because it's creepy". 
What do you think....creepy? Isn't that a gorgeous tray. That was a flea market find also.
Now I need to get the room painted and some cushions made. Come help me pick a color! Please!

Monday, November 2, 2009

What's in YOUR stocking?

I started making felt Christmas stockings from kits for my nieces and nephews and godchildren about 24 yrs ago. That was what I made for the new baby gift. Now I am making them for their children as well. This is stocking number 23 if I've counted right. And I see no end in sight!


Thursday, October 15, 2009

I'm Back.....sort of

I'm back. Recuperating slowly. And I do mean slowly! That's alot harder to do when all I see is rain out my windows. There was nothing fun to blog about the hospital but I have been lurking and reading all of your blogs. 

This is something I got in a box at the auction before all this fun started. And I shouldn't be collecting anything new, but if I was to start a new collection it would be pretty ladies like these. This one is pretty tiny and I like her that way. I have seen larger ones but I am always drawn to tiny things. I love her "Lucy " jewelry and how it is applied rather than part of the ceramic. 

I love her eyelashes too. So I'll try not to collect these lady head vases and I'll try not to look for them at the auctions and flea markets when I get back into going out. Pretty woman!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Pink Saturday

Welcome to another Pink Saturday hosted by Beverly.
Please visit her blog to view the complete list of participants for this week.

When I started going to flea markets years and years ago, my little girls would come too. I tried to get them interested in something other than the drinks and snowcones. My littlest, decided that she liked pretty pins. 
So, to keep her coming with me, I would give her quarters to buy a pin or two. You would be surprised how many times that little face and outstretched hand with quarters brought the price down! Of course that never happened when I tried it. 
Now she is away at design school and her pin collection is here with me.  She never collected any particular color or design just what tickled a small girl's fancy. 

These are the ones with pink stones. Pink is not , nor ever has been her favorite color so there are only a few of them. 
Happy Saturday!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Lake Erie

Now, I don't want you west and east coasters to laugh but Ohio has a beach! I said stop laughing! We have lake Erie and the beach at Headlands Park. I spent my evening there yesterday.  You have to start the evening at Scooter's Dawg Haus where you can order what I ordered....a deep fried hotdog with cheese and bacon and a huge mound of greasy fries. Hey, I had a DIET coke! Then you head to the beach.
You park your beach chair right at the water's edge so you can watch the seagulls clean the beach of all the pretzels and french fries left from the daytime partiers.
Or you can watch the groups of teenagers and remember when you thought it was cool to wear a bikini. If I did that now, they'd send for the patrol. I was going to put in a picture of them and try to pass them off as my husband and myself. Right....I didn't think you'd fall for it either!
The only thing I got wet were my toes. It was heavenly cold on a hot evening. I wish this was in my backyard, then I'd be there all the time. But it is more than an hours drive so I don't see it much. A little cottage by the lake or the ocean for retirement is what I dream of. Happy late days of summer!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Party!


We have had a lot of momentous occasions here at our house, an engagement, a birthday, and a baby leaving the nest. So according to my style, we decided to throw a party in 3 days. I panicked. I didn't need too. People helped and we pulled it together.

With my hubby's dahlia garden, we are never lacking for decorations. This was his contribution. He cut dahlias and used all the small vases he could find and lined them up across the island countertop. I would have liked the vases to match, but it was pretty. However, I needed all the space I could find for food for 40 people. So they were dispersed around the house. 
This is my favorite. It is an un-named seedling. 
Most of them have names, but I don't know them and hubby wasn't here when I was typing this. Some of them are very striking. 
Not only do they vary in size from a golf ball to a dinner plate, the petals also differ in shape. This is a spikey one. 
I didn't get anymore pictures as the party was over as quickly as it was planned. And I think it went very well. 

Monday, July 13, 2009

Christmas in July



It was a hot, dusty parking lot where they held the auction. All box lots, all a possible treasure. After a while I grew tired of digging to the bottom of each box, no treasure today. 

Then I found it ," my" box. Vintage Christmas ornaments buried under cheesey satin balls that that were losing threads with every dig into the box. It looked like a long evening as "my" box was at the end. I sat by "my" box, I walked around "my" box, I watched it from afar. I thought I was being coy, not wanting to draw attention to "my" box.
Finally, the auctioneer pointed to "my" box, then he looked straight at me and asked if I wanted it sold separately. I was calm as a cucumber and as sly as a fox, how did he know it was "my " box?!  Did he see me circling? Wow, was he good! 
Well, at least everyone else realized too that it was "my" box and after a few dollars were paid up front, it really was my box. Let the rest of them have the old coffee maker and the box of legos, I was thrilled with my treasure and couldn't wait to get them safely home.
What is in the box that you are waiting 3 hrs. to score? 

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Pink Saturday


Welcome to another Pink Saturday, hosted by Beverly.  Please visit her blog to see a complete list of all participants. 
This is one of my favorite things. Karen made it and I bought it from her on Ebay years ago. There are so many pretty things to look at and it combines my favorite things, shells, vintage ornaments and jewelry. It should hang on a white cupboard but I am not allowed to paint the oak in my house, many of you with similar hubbies know how that goes! Trying to keep the peace! Have a great weekend! 


Saturday, July 4, 2009

Pink Saturday



Welcome to Pink Saturday! Please visit our host Beverly.
On her blog you will find the complete list of participants. This is a picture of my hubby's first dahlia blooms of the season. That makes it special, but it is special also because it is one of his seedlings that he originated and therefore has not been named. It has to bloom again for several years and go thru a rigorous process to be official and named. Wasn't it nice of him to make it a pink one?! Happy Pink Saturday!

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Flea Market Treasure

I am really excited about these beautiful porcelain doll heads I found at the flea market. There was a whole box of them, but not knowing what I would do with them, I only brought home 3.

They have the creamiest skin tones and blushed cheeks. Some of you may think they are creepy with their starring eyes but I think they are lovely. In fact, I hope that box is there next week so I can get more. 
I'm not sure what I will do with them. I don't even mind that some of them don't have eyes.  I think they'd be precious laying together in a bowl. Any ideas? Wish me luck next week that I can get some more. 

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Pink Saturday

Welcome to Pink Saturday hosted by Beverly.
Please click on the link with her name to visit her blog and find the large, complete, list of all this Saturday's pink participants. This is a jar on my mantle that holds many of my millinery flowers. I can't bear to use them and I can't bear to hide them in a drawer so I layered them in this jar to see them everyday. The pink rose plate behind it picks up the flower theme. Thanks for visiting and have a great Saturday!


Monday, June 15, 2009

Garden Photos

These are some early summer shots of the garden. These hanging planters on the porch are called "super-tunias" by the neighborhood nursery where we get them. And they are super. They will grow and hang down to the railing.

It was a rainy week here so the pale pink peonies got pretty beat up. I love their soft fluffy ruffles. We have a few ornamental pieces like this post in the garden to add texture.
I always say I can't take any credit for the garden as my hubby does it all and he says he can't take any credit because God does it all. 

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Pink Saturday



Welcome to Pink Saturday hosted by Beverly . Please click the link to take you to Beverly's blog to see the list of this Saturday's participants. 

This is an Austrian chocolate set passed down through my hubby's family. The lid is missing but the last owner was his mother who had 8 children so we are lucky there is anything left! LOL
The cups are very thin and delicate. I love the way it shines against the blue of this cupboard.
Have a great Saturday!

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Pink Saturday

 Welcome to Pink Saturday hosted by Beverly
Please visit Beverly's blog to find the complete list of participants for this Pink Saturday. And thanks to Beverly for hosting this every week.  This is a cute piece I found at the flea market this week. I think it is for jam or honey as it has a little spoon with it. I was so happy the whole sweet thing was intact. 
The saucer on the bottom is attached. There is no maker mark but it is a handpainted lovely. I don't know about you, but I just spoon my jelly out of the jar when I should be using a pretty piece like this. I hope your Saturday is perfectly pink!