Window Frame Art with an Equestrian Flair

See her two stuffed animal pups peeking out?

My daughter is an equestrian. She's ridden since she was five years old and has competed at the local level for quite a few years now. At Christmas, both girls get a calendar for the new year, and Tiny Girl's has always been horse related. She's collected quite a few by now. So I bought a window frame for a few dollars several months ago, and she selected and cut out some favorite calendar photos and paintings to make a piece of art for her bedroom.

 First, we cleaned the window frame and glass. Then we adhered the pictures to the back of the glass using Scotch Photo Mount adhesive spray. I tested a cutout we didn't plan to use to make certain the adhesive would not smear the ink. Success!

Himself is going to add hooks to the top of the frame so we can safely hang it on the wall. For now, it's propped against her chest of drawers.

For a few dollars and a few minutes, we have individually designed artwork!

Have you tried the whole window frame art idea?



Linking up with:
A Delightsome Life
Share Your Style
The Dedicated House
Make it Pretty Monday
A Return to Loveliness
The Scoop
Wow Us Wednesdays

Making Plans for Dining Room Curtains

It's time to make plans for curtains in the dining room. The windows have stood naked for far too long. After looking through Country Curtains catalogs and other sources for ready-made ideas, I decided on custom-made curtains for several reasons.

One: the windows feature pretty moldings. It would be a shame to cover them. See?

Two: I have blinds and the header box thingies, which I also like.

Three: I am in love with this fabric, which I've adored since I first caught sight of it at Calico Corners a few years ago:

I think the lighter blue in the background with complement the wall paint color, Opal Silk by Behr, really nicely.

I've contacted a decorator here in my area, and she and I have both texted and talked on the phone. I sent her photos from my Pinterest board, Gorgeous Home, with some ideas of things I like. I'm especially enamored with the idea of finials rather than rods, like so:

{source}

I can't wait to get started!




Link parties:
Make It Pretty Monday
Inspire Me Tuesday
Wow Us Wednesdays
Treasure Hunt Thursday

New Curtains for the Family Room

 I love checks and I love the color red. So red checks really make my heart go pitter pat. I wanted red-checked curtains for our family room, the coziest room in the house. But I was (and still am) on a tight decorating budget. So instead of buying curtains, I bought red-checked tablecloths from eBay.

One problem: when they arrived, they weren't exactly the same. One tablecloth's fabric is a bit thicker and a tad nubbier than the other. Thankfully, this is not noticeable since they're not hung right next to one another.

Two inexpensive black rods from Lowe's, a pack of drapery clip rings, and we were in business. Himself installed the rods for me because he's fabulous like that.

I'm really pleased with the way they look. The room seems more finished.

We're considering painting the judges paneling in this room, but we can't quite make up our minds. Once it's painted, that's all she wrote. And I kinda like the coziness aspect. If the room got more direct sunlight, it would be brighter. But the screen porch is right through the French doors, and only oblique sunlight filters in anyway since the front of the house faces southeast.

But on a winter's evening with a fire in the fireplace. . . it's the best. I love to read in this chair. (Notice the red checks!) Or I curl up in a corner of the couch under a throw. You can't get much better than that.

I hope you like my curtains as much as I do!



Linking up with:
Make It Pretty Monday
Inspire Me Monday
Inspire Me Tuesday
Wow Us Wednesdays

The Perfect Rolls for Your Thanksgiving Feast!

Y'all have got to taste these rolls! They are spectacular. I pinned them several weeks ago and then had a chance to make them last week. The recipe makes 12 rolls, and we had six left over -- Himself is in a bread-eschewing phase (just envision my eye-roll) -- which I popped in the freezer. That evening, my elder daughter, Amelia, availed herself of the stash and ate. Every. Single. The rest of us were shocked and dismayed. She was unrepentant. "They were good." And I suppose that's a good defense where these rolls are concerned.

Aren't they pretty?

 They are THAT good.

I made them again this week and took a few photos to share. The recipe comes from Taste of Home, and it is super quick and easy: no kneading, short rise time, short bake time. With my Red Steel Beauty on the job, they come together really quickly, too. So they are superb for weeknight meals.

Butter makes everything better.

But don't let that fool you. They are equally at home on your Thanksgiving buffet -- or any other special meal. Here's a link to the recipe on my Tasty Eats and Sips board. While you're there, check out my other recipes!




Linking up with:
A Stroll thru Life
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Make It Pretty Monday
Savvy Southern Style
Green Willow Pond
DIY By Design
From My Front Porch to Yours
The Charm of Home

Autumn Wreaths for the Entry

I am totally craft-challenged, so when something I attempt turns out nicely, I'm really stoked. On Saturday evening, I made these wreaths. I have a double front door, so any decoration has to be doubled.

If I can do it, you can do it. And I say that with utter confidence.

Here's what I did. First, I searched Pinterest to look at some wreaths other (talented, skilled) people have made. Isn't that clever?

Then I searched for a nice template of the letter B. I downloaded it, opened it in Word, and reisized it to a size I thought would look right. Then I printed it off. I traced it onto a closed manila file folder and cut it out. Since the folder was closed (doubled over), this gave me two B's.

I looked through my stash of scrapbooking paper and selected one I liked. I traced the file folder B's onto this paper (stiffer paper makes for easier tracing) and cut them out. Then I glued the pretty B's onto the file-folder B's using Tacky Glue.

I already had the grapevine wreaths, which I used last Christmas. I stripped them of the old silk poinsettias and greenery so I could re-use them. A few weeks ago, I purchased some silk flowers from Michaels to use in autumn arrangements (they were 60% off!), and I decided to use those to make my harvest-themed wreaths. I snipped the stems to manageable lengths and then poked them into the grapevine branches. A few needed a drop of hot glue to stay in place.

After the flowers and leaves were in place, I hot glued the B's, making sure they were level and even with each other.

I bought the ribbon at Michaels, too. All their Christmas ribbon was on sale. This wired ribbon is copper and gold -- more autumn than Christmas -- so it works perfectly. I cut two even lengths, lopped them onto the wreaths, and then hot-glued them to close. I'm no good at bows.

Ta da!

The B looks a tad wonky in this one, but they both look fine in real life.

I have wreaths pinned to both my Holidays board and my Gorgeous Home board. Pop on over for some wreath inspiration of your own!



Linking up with:
A Stroll thru Life
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Make It Pretty Monday
Savvy Southern Style
Green Willow Pond
DIY By Design
From My Front Porch To Yours
The Charm of Home

Make-Ahead, Freezer, and Crock Pot Meals

Like most moms I know, I'm always looking to save time, money, and panic when it comes to supper. It's so daily, you know, and everyone expects to be fed. <sigh> I created a new Pinterest board, Freezer and Crock Pot Meals, to help me out. You might find help there, too.

Source: Add a Pinch

Some meals are ones you make ahead and then freeze. Some are simply slow cooker meals. Others are those so-called "dump" meals: dump all (or most) ingredients into a freezer bag; freeze until needed; then dump frozen contents into your slow cooker in the morning and cook all day. I must admit -- those are my favorites for saving time.

It does take a bit of planning to make these happen. But the investment you make at the outset saves gobs of money and time -- not to mention last-minute panic over what to have for dinner -- that it is worth it to protect your sanity.

Do you have any favorite time-saving meals? If so, I'd love to hear about them!




Linking up with:
Between Naps on the Porch's Metamorphosis Monday
Motivational Monday
A Stroll Thru Life's Inspire Me Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style

Finally: Kitchen Lighting Decision!

I say "finally" because Himself and I agreed on it. He has his tastes and I have mine, which often coincide. But in the case of lighting for the kitchen, they most decidedly have not. But hallelujah, we've come to a meeting of the minds. Here's what we've chosen:

The above pendants will go over the cooktop peninsula.

This sconce will go over the sink.

Aren't they pretty? This particular design is called the Kellie II. I love the seeded glass and the Edison bulbs. We both love that these lights are handmade by a company in Maine, The Lamp Goods. And the price is reasonable. I enjoy supporting small business craftspeople whenever I can.

I'm ordering these today. Look for pictures soon after we get them installed!




I'm linking up with:
Metamorphosis Monday
A Stroll Thru Life's Inspire Me Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style

My Life in Review this Year

Over the last year, my life has taken quite a turn. We moved. The girls started private school after six years of homeschooling. I went back to work. I'm hear to tell you, that's a lot for a girl like me, who enjoyed her life as it was. It's required a lot of dark chocolate to get me through.

If you've been reading my blog, then you know our new house, lovely as it is, demanded a complete overhaul. It was built in the early 80s, and NOTHING had been updated or changed. There were (okay, still are) gouged, nail holes, and pushpin holes in the walls. All trim was dark stained, as was the carpeting! We immediately had new carpet and hardwoods installed. Then we later had the popcorn ceilings scraped on the main floor. I painted the kitchen cabinets. We painted the kitchen, dining room, foyer, and living room. There's still a lot we could do, but with college only a mere four years away, we're starting to prioritize.

The change from homeschooling to private school last year was a big one for us. The girls enjoy the school, which is a university model school. They attend classes on Tuesdays and Fridays, and then they complete assignments at home the other days. I'm pleased with the course of study. Our elder daughter, Amelia, who began high school this year, also goes on Thursday mornings for student council meetings and yearbook. Last school year was a big transition for all of us; this year has been much smoother so far. I miss homeschooling, though. I enjoyed the lifestyle; and, as a lifelong learner, I enjoyed the study we did together. To be honest, I also miss being the top boss. I'm no longer in complete charge.

I went back to work, too. For the last several years, I've been dabbling in writing. I'd had an article published in The Old Schoolhouse magazine and another in Impart online magazine. I'd had two storied published in an online children's magazine (now sadly defunct) called Fandangle. I wrote reviews for that fantastic homeschooling website The Curriculum Choice. I took on a few freelance editing projects. And I worked here and there on my own manuscripts. Oh, and I blogged.

Then some friends from church approached me about working with their company as a writer. When I was duly employed (pre-family), I worked in the newsletter industry and also in corporate communications, so this was right up my alley. I took on a couple of clients, which has now grown to several clients for whom I produce monthly email newsletter articles, website content, email blasts, and the like. I've also continued freelance editing. I now spend several hours a day on my various projects. And laundry, grocery shopping, schlepping kids to and fro, cooking, washing up, sweeping, scrubbing toilets, etc. You know.

So my life is different now than it was for several years. It's taken some getting used to. At first, I wasn't sure I approved. But I've settled into the new normal.

I plan to better schedule my blogging time. When I blog, I'm practicing my writing, I'm chronicling our lives together, and I'm reaching out to a sphere I don't necessarily inhabit physically. I think that's neat. I have also found that when I don't blog regularly, I miss it. I compose posts in my head that never see the light of day. then I feel unproductive and lackluster, no matter how many loads of laundry I've washed or how I've planned out our meals.

I guess I'm weird that way.

More later, on books I've read, things I've been pinning, and other stuff!

When It Comes to Decor, I'm No Switzerland

As you may (or may not) know, we've been in the throes of redecorating our new house since we moved in a year ago. (To see posts on this, click the New House label on the right.) To that end, I've been perusing magazines, blogs, and Pinterest, as well as pinning like mad to my Gorgeous Home board --

(Aside: You've never seen my Gorgeous Home board on Pinterest? Well, get thee over there! I've got 1,375 pins and counting, people!)

-- and I've discovered one thing: I have definite preferences.

• I do not care for neutrals, neutrals, everywhere. That look is too sterile for me. I prefer color.
• The industrial look. Yuck. And I'm sorry, but to my way of thinking, "industrial farmhouse" is a totally made-up thing.
• Gray, grey, and greige? Maybe in small doses. But everywhere? No, thank you.
• "Carefully edited"? Again, no, thank you. I like lots of interesting and beautiful things. More is better. Always. (Unless it's clutter. Which tends to happen around here. But that's another matter entirely.)
• Modern is not moi.
• If it's trendy, I'm suspicious. Like the antler craze of late. (Another aside: I grew up gazing at taxidermied deer heads on the walls of my grandparents' house. I'd rather not see animal parts on my own walls.)
• I don't need a big sign in the kitchen imploring me to EAT. I do enough of that already.

So here's the thing: I can pin all I want and tear out magazine pages and all that, but I still have problems making it happen in my own home. Part of that is my pocketbook. I can't run out and buy what I want. Perhaps that's good because I'm forced to take my time and think about things. But it's also frustrating. I'm still working in the kitchen with ONE overhead light because Himself and I can't agree on lighting.

I mean, come ON.

Any advice would be appreciated. In other words, HELP!






Link Parties:
A Stroll Thru Life

Considering Kitchen Lighting

One of these things we're updating in our kitchen renovation is the lighting. We've already changed out the fixture in the breakfast area. It was a large ceiling fan/light combo, which we relocated to the master bedroom. I know chandeliers in the bedroom are all the rage right now, but I like a good ceiling fan. I live in the Deep South, and I appreciate the cool breath of air a ceiling fan gives over the sparkly bling of a bedroom chandy -- which I can't see at night, anyhow.

Himself and I were not charmed by other lighting choices in the kitchen, either. There was an awful track light over the stove, which had been questionably rigged, and a personality-less box light over the sink. The latter was at least hidden by a rectangle of wood, but still. When Himself removed the soffit boxes, the rectangle looked awkward. So down it came and the light as well.

A peek of the rectangular board AND the old soffit boxes.

So now I am looking for lights to go over the stove and the sink. I'm considering either pendant lights or a linear chandelier (billiard/island fixture). The latter would be over the stove only, so if I go that route, I would find a pendant light that complemented the stove light for over the sink. If I opt for pendant lights only, then I need to decide whether to have two or three over the stove.

I've pinned several options to my Gorgeous Home Pinterest board. The latest eye-catching options are near the top, and several more appear down lower. I'm especially intrigued with the offerings from The Lamp Goods (see there website HERE). Here's one from my board:

And I also love the delicate shell exterior of this:

For the stove lighting, here are a couple of linear chandeliers:

Kitchen lighting decisions are important not just for aesthetic reasons, but also practical reasons. Which will give the best light for cooking? How will light fall on the stove? If the fixtures are not just so, I'll have to deal with unbalanced light over the stove. I've done this before and it's annoying. I want to avoid that.

What are your thoughts/advice? I'm open to all!




Party hearty!
May Before and After at Thrifty Decor Chick
Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife
The Inspiration Board at Homework
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Be Inspired at Common Ground

Thoughts on Renovations: Two Camps

Himself and I have different opinions on, well, many, many, many things. We are the personification of "opposites attract." And this truth has been much in evidence in the last few months as we go about renovating and sprucing up our new-to-us house.

I believe I may have shared this is as a mention in another post, but it deserves its own post for this reason: people get in big fights about how to go about renovations/redecoration.

Camp One (where Himself has parked his Winnebago)

AKA The "One Room at a Time" Philosophy

The name sums it up. Address one room at a time. Paint the walls, woodwork, whatever else needs to be painted. Change out the lighting. Consider flooring options and window treatments. Buy new furniture (oh, how I wish!) or wave a magic wand over what you've got. Arrange said furniture. Replace or paint outlet covers and switch plates. Hang your artwork. Put in other finishing touches.

Ta da! Room complete and perfect.

I get it. I really do. I just don't do it. And here's why.

Camp Two (my favorite spot)

AKA "Do what I can when I can vs. waiting around"

I don't always have the funds to do everything in one go, so I'd rather do what I can. If we can buy some paint and paint a room, let's do it. If I have to wait to replace the chandelier, that's fine. At least the room will sport a new and lovelier coat of paint. If all the doors in the house have to be painted (ahem), which will take a while, why not buy new doorknobs to replace the old, peeling, brassy gold ones? At least the doors will look better after only a couple of hours of work. If I want to slap a texture on the bathroom walls to cover the yucky, peeling, almost-30-year-old, dark green wallpaper but I won't have time to paint until a bit later, at least the wallpaper will be gone.

And why should my fantastic claw foot bathtub languish on the patio under the deck just because we're not ready to do the entire master bath? I'm about to take a sledgehammer to the horrid, uncomfortable, shallow "Roman" bathtub that's now collecting dust just to get rid of it myself.

Shazam!

All that being said, I do see the wisdom of doing big things all at one time. That only makes sense. And when we had the popcorn ceilings removed, we did the entire downstairs at once. We didn't go one room at a time then.

Himself and I are not trust fund babies. So cash is always a consideration. And we do a LOT of the work ourselves. But I am impatient. I love this house, and I am chomping at the bit to make it ours. To develop a style of my own (sadly lacking in the past). To create a home that's unique, gracious, welcoming, and warm.

And I want to do what I can to make progress quickly.

So where do you (and your beloved) fall on this issue? Any tips you can share? I'd appreciate any ammunition to strengthen my position! :-)




Party hearty!
Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife
The Inspiration Board at Homework
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Be Inspired at Common Ground

Big Changes in the Kitchen

For the past two weekends, Himself and I have been busy in the kitchen. Repainting, that is. When we bought this house last August, the kitchen was so glum. Dark cabinets, original (YES!) wallpaper, vinyl flooring, and dark stained trim. Our very first project was painting the kitchen cabinets, which you can read about HERE and HERE.

Two weeks ago, we had the popcorn texture removed from all the ceilings downstairs. I wrote a check for that since it was not a project we wanted to tackle ourselves. We know our limits. Before the workers began, though, Himself took the opportunity to remove the soffit boxes above the kitchen cabinets. He carefully removed the cabinet trim I'd already painted, thankfully.

No soffits!

Once the ceilings were done, we started on the kitchen walls and trim. The ceiling contractor applied a texture to my kitchen walls, which saved me having to do it. Himself and I are partial to yellow kitchens; also we wanted a nice sunny color to brighten up the space. After testing out a few colors on posterboard, we went with SW's Humble Gold. It's not as bright as the photos below might suggest. I cut in and Himself rolled. It only took one coat! Then we primed all the woodwork, including the paneling below the chair rail. This took one weekend.

The next weekend, we started painting. Sadly, it is taking two coats of SW's Dover White -- and in many places three -- to cover all that dark stain. So we're not quite finished. But the difference is simply amazing! The kitchen and breakfast area are so much brighter now!

See the dark stain peeking through?

We are thrilled. At least I am. It takes something like the Red Sox winning the World Series to evoke a feeling of thrill in Himself.

But of course I've kept something up my sleeve. I plan to paint the pantry door another color, like perhaps ASCP Duck Egg Blue or something similar. Or perhaps milk paint. Why bother Himself with such a teensy detail like that (and give him the opportunity to say no)? And wouldn't a glass door knob be perfect, too? I'm also planning to cover the louvers with a piece of burlap or the like, with maybe a stenciled design. . .  A bumblebee or something else from The Graphics Fairy seems just lovely.

Just don't tell Himself, okay?




Linking up with:
Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
What We Accomplished Wednesday at Green Willow Pond
Be Inspired at Common Ground
Before & After Wednesdays at The Dedicated House
May Before and After at Thrifty Decor Chick

A New Look for My Daughter's Vintage Bedroom Furniture

My elder daughter, whom I fondly refer to as "Miss Priss," asked if we could paint her bedroom furniture. She's had the chest of drawers, dresser, and bedside table since she was a toddler. They used to belong to my mother-in-law when she was a child, so we certainly wanted to keep them. But the tops were scratched and the edges were worn and Miss Priss had a Vision.

It's hard to stop her when she has a Vision.

She decided to paint the drawers pink, in an hombre fashion, and the cases (boxes?) glossy white. So we got started during spring break.

First we took off the drawer pulls. Then we primed the fronts.

The original pink was SW Dragonfly. We painted the bottom drawers this color. Then we mixed the pinks, using different amounts of the gloss white.

Here are all the fronts, drying in the spring sunshine.

After deliberating about the drawer pulls, she opted to try a silver chrome spray paint. We have yet to do this because of other projects Himself and I are in the midst of. More on that later. Also yet to do: paint the boxes (cases?) white. We're hoping to finish that up this weekend.

Finish photos to come!





I'm linking up with:
Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
What We Accomplished Wednesday at Green Willow Pond
Be Inspired at Common Ground
Before & After Wednesdays at The Dedicated House

Pulling Together the Screened Porch

I love screened porches, so I was a happy girl when I found out our new house came with one. It's a little on the small side, but that's okay. It also features old indoor-outdoor carpet, ho-hum stencils, a boring ceiling fan, and a funky smell. That's not okay.

Here's the stencil that adorns the wall all around the porch.

Be that as it may, the kitchen is our main focus right now. So I had to do what I could with the porch right now. I want to enjoy it on these lovely spring days we're having in the south!

Here it is as of right this minute.

I used the indoor/outdoor rug in the kitchen at our last house. I bought it from Ballard's several years ago. And the trunk is an old flea market find, which I used as an end table in the family room at our last house. It doesn't fit nicely in this family room, so I slid it out onto the porch.

See the lamp? I bought it at an antique and decor store nearby. The base was black, so I painted it real quick with ASCP Old White. I like the natural shade as it is. Maybe one day I'll jazz it up, but it's fine for now.

I bought the lantern and the church birdhouse at the same store where I bought the lamp. I love the lantern in all its chippy rustiness! And when I reveal more of my house as it evolves, you'll note my fondness for all things bird.

For a touch of spring, I took some daisies out of my birthday bouquet and put them in this darling hobnail creamer. The matching sugar bowl is in my dining room china cabinet.

Daisies just sing "spring," don't they?

Here's one last look, complete with my glass of iced tea waiting for me. I'll just grab my latest book, The Killings at Badger's Drift (love a good Brit mystery!), and head on out to enjoy this beautiful spring weather we're having!

Linking up with:
Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Be Inspired at Common Ground
Inspiration Gallery at The Golden Sycamore

New Dining Room Chandelier Reveal!

After weeks of waiting and miraculously not nagging on my part, Himself graciously hung the new dining room chandelier this two weekends ago. Hooray! The contemporary monstrosity is gone!

Here she is. The rest of the room is not ready to reveal, so you only get a peek.

You may wonder where I got my inspiration. And if you knew me in person, you'd definitely ask. I have no innate sense of style. And I would answer: Debra at Common Ground, a blog I follow. I saw her dining room chandelier in her Christmas home tour and was knocked out by how fabulous it is. So I sent her an email, to which she kindly replied. She gave me the name of the store where they bought the chandy 11 years ago. I perused the store's website, got the names of some of the manufacturers they carry, and quickly realized that Quorum International looked promising. I popped over to the Quorum website, and in a matter of moments -- I kid you not -- I found MY chandelier.

It's 6037-6-70 in Persian White. Just look at that detail!

Himself, who is not in on the chippy, painty, lived-in look (which I adore), was skeptical. "Is it supposed to look like this?" he asked. Like what? "All dinged up like this," said he. Yes, it is. I love it. He merely grunted.

But because of his great love for me, he hung it up wonderfully and kept his thoughts mostly to himself.

Not a fantastic photo, I know. I'm still learning the ins and outs of my new camera. I've already gotten numerous compliments. And she looks gorgeous from the street after dark.

Another project completed in the new house!




Linking up with:
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
What We Accomplished at Green Willow Pond
Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll thru Life
Be Inspired at Common Ground
Inspiration Gallery at The Golden Sycamore
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage