Friday, January 22, 2010

Have you ever?

Have you ever had something you want to paint, and you just can't decide on a color? You have a gazillion paint chips to pick from, but none is exactly right, and you can't even decide on the look your going for, not to mention the exact shade?

Have your jeans ever been just a tad too tight and driven you crazy all day because they keep riding up, and it's a constant reminder of the weight you need to take off. And you get just a bit irritable because of it?
Have you ever missed being where you once were, a different time, and place, and wishing it so hard that you can feel it, and smell, and hear it, and felt sorry for yourself because it will never be?

Have you ever gotten tired of feeding people, and wishing that the meals would magically appear, and then clean themselves up again?

Have you ever worked hard on making home made oatmeal rolls, and they didn't rise right, and you really wanted them to work, cause you get embarrassed every time you try the bread thing cause you just can't do it right, and aren't homeschoolers supposed to know how to bake bread?


Have you ever been frustrated that the light bulbs in the kitchen seem to all burn out at the same time, and that the cat lays on your freshly washed slip cover, and that every time you get a few minutes to look at the computer someone needs you, and that the water that comes out of the fridge door pours too slowly?
Have you ever........ and then thought of all those hurting people of Haiti?
I have.




Tuesday, January 19, 2010

The scary closet!

Our new home has an oddly shaped room that the former owners used as an office. We could probably use an office, but the Master bedroom in this house is more like a bowling alley, so we needed the desk in there, just to use up some space! This room was then labeled the play room. ElizaJane was ecstatic to put it mildly that they would have their very own playroom, and excessive compulsive organizer girl, otherwise known as Haven was ecstatic that she would no longer have to deal with toys in their room. Her room is not a bowling alley, and the girls share it so space is at a premium. These doors led to the playroom closet, and I don't even have to tell you how crazy messy, and truly scary it was! My Dad and Hubby built us some uber fine shelves, and it is scary no more!

Is this fantastic or what!!! Thanks Dad and Hubby!

I purchased most of those bins 50% off, because they were considered Christmas! Love that!

The girls can now play with the play mobile, without even getting it out! Love that to! And so does that newly married play mobile couple!


Sunday, January 17, 2010

miniature slipcover

Have you ever slip covered a couch? Me either....until just a few days ago!

When I was a young girly girl like my sweet daughter Haven, My Daddy made me a doll house for Christmas. He wasn't Daddy then by the way, cuz I was born a Yankee, but now I'm an old southern gal, and he is Daddy now, at least in my mind. He is still Dad out loud though, not sure why. So back to the story at hand...He didn't make it from some prefab kit, in fact I don't even think he had any plans. I still remember that towel over the window to the garage around Christmas time, and the hoping that whatever was being made behind closed doors in Dad's workshop, was for me. Fast forward a couple gazillion years, and that same dollhouse made an appearance under our tree this year for someone who had been quite the good girl.
This keepsake had seen better days my friends, let me assure you. My Mom (she's Momma in my mind)had decorated it with loving care, and lots of very long lasting glue. I had to sand for an eternity! It is only by the grace of God that I still have the old relic, well, grace, and a very endearing husband who has lugged the thing from here to kingdom come through like a catrillion moves. I can't believe it's still in one piece, guess Dad used some strong glue too!
Any how, I sanded, and painted, and re-decorated, and it was a BIG surprise, very much enjoyed by our own little girlie girl, Miss Haven Dorothy.

We didn't fully furnish it cuz,....well, cuz that's the fun of it right? Well, Haven felt sure that I could make a couch , and when someone has total faith and confidence in you, how can you not try? so I strapped a bit of duck tape around a piece of packing foam, and then sewed a bit of cream corduroy, and called it a couch, all 4 inches of it!

Check out that Heather Bailey wall paper people. This "family" is livin large!

"glass" tiles in the Kitchen back splash, and original filo dough earthen ware dishes!

Not sure who that is playing the piano????

oops, updated to say I meant Amy Butler wallpaper....
No offense Heather, you are both equally wonderful designers!

check out other cool things people make at
make it for Monday at Cottage Instincts, and
make your Monday at Twice remembered, and





Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Is Georgia in the SOUTH?

Okay, sooooooooooooo when I agreed to move from South Carolina, to Georgia, (like I really had a choice, we kinda needed a job, cause we have kinda grown accustomed to that thing we call eating) it was with the understanding, that Georgia was still in the south.....
If is going to be this cold, it might as well snow already, and be pretty too!

Our refrigerator decided to quit working this week, and we are using our porch to keep the food cold! Trying to look on the bright side! (our milk froze!)

Some friends are in Florida this week, trying to meet up with Mickey, poor things, I hear his ears are pretty cold too!

Stay warm my fellow southerners, the sunshine will prevail eventually!

Friday, January 8, 2010

Finagling by Lumberjack boy



Lumberjack Kartwright has been working in the barn quit a bit lately, and this is what he came up with! He jumped in with both feet, and made this fantastical bench from an old Queen sized Head board and foot board. He is hoping to make a little money to stash a way for the future, with his new wood finagling business.

I think it's downright fabulous myself, but then I just might be a tad biased. What do you think? No, not about if I'm biased, I think that is very obvious. What do you think of this beautiful work of lumberjacking art?


I graciously offered to "store" it for him, free of charge of course, since he is family and all, in my entry way/foyer/dinning room. Funny how it goes perfectly with my decor and all. I wonder who finagled that? I plan to make a pretty cushion for it, not that I'm taking possession or anything, just want to show it off in the best light possible.


Lumberjack boy won't let anyone sit on it, so don't come over and try it out, or you may have bought a bed bench that you never knew you wanted! That is not to say that this bench is not sturdy enough to hold three well fed Lumberjacks comfortably, just that Kartwright is a tad "attached" shall we say, to his "baby".


Can you tell I'm proud of Lumberjack boy? I must show it from all angles, or you may miss the splendiferouseness of the entire project. Isn't splendiferouse a word, I thought it was, but spell check says NO? They say lumberjacking is not a word either, but we all know that they're wrong on that one! What do they know, they don't even recognise Lumberjack boys real name! Cute idnt he?? A bit pasty perhaps....oooh we miss that sunshine....but real cute just the same!

If you are at all interested in the purchase of this larger then life, gotta have it, bench wonderfulness, just give us a shout out through the ol' net. Or, better yet, if you have an old bed that you would like made into a bench, Lumberjack would love to hear from you! Or, even if you don't want, or need a bench, but you have some other lumberjacking project in mind, he is open for business as they say.

Just in case it is not entirely obvious I would like to point out that the name Lumberjack Boy is not to imply in any way that Kartwright possesses any skill whatsoever in the area of large tree excavation, but is only the pet name that came to a loving mothers mind when she beheld said boy clad in plaid flannel.


today I linked to FUNKY JUNK, and
check out the other projects

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

BEIGE, BLAND, and BORING

Is this not the most boring chaise lounge you have ever seen?
Beige, Bland, and Boring,
the three dreaded B's.
I hated this thing, but I also had a vision.
A vision that came to life this past week!

All that was needed was a few yards of black and cream ticking fabric,
a remnant of aqua linen,
and some serious gathering skilledge.
We now have a cute cottage look to go with the rest of the room.




I decided to add a monogram to break up the stripes.
I plan to put some big black buttons on the corners there where the pins are, just haven't found them yet.

Whatchathink?

Check out some more great projects at Shanty to Chic!
and more at
The shabby Chic cottage
also linked to blue crickett design
also Miss mustard seed
and Funky Junk
and



Shanty 2 Chic