wow. i finally did it! i completed another sign. can i get a woot, woot?
so i’ve been kind of obsessed with this quote lately, you’ll remember seeing it in my printables the other week. i actually started this sign before i made those, but only finished it today.
unfortunately this sign won’t be going up in my etsy shop. it’s on hold for my sister-in-law and if it doesn’t work for her then it’s staying right here. the little aqua and green bud vases are available in my brick and mortar gift shoppe.
the quote is painted on two boards i pieced together. the boards were in pretty good condition so i beat them up a bit, white washed them, then sanded them like crazy.
i’m super happy with the way it turned out and i’m especially liking the little umbrella on top. perfect finishing touch.
what do you think?
wow. i finally did it! i completed another sign. can i get a woot, woot? so i’ve been kind of obsessed with this quote lately, you’ll remember seeing it in my printables the other week. i actually started this sign before i made those, but only finished it today. unfortunately this sign won’t be going up […]
well folks, no pretty pictures here today. just some tragic before shots. remember i mentiond i was decorating? i was delayed a week, but the madness is about to begin. i’m giving one of my guest rooms a little makeover! so onto those before shots … you ready?
so the garden suite, on of my guest rooms, consists of two rooms, the bedroom area and a sitting room. let’s start in the bedroom.
all wallpaper will be removed (yikes, right?) the french door leads outside to a small balcony.
more ugly wallpaper. old fan will be removed and replaced with a new fan. it’s also hard to tell in my pictures, but the walls are textured. can i offer some advice. NEVER wallpaper textured walls. i guess the folks that put it up didn’t plan on taking it down. it’s no fun.
still in the bedroom. this door leads to the hall and will be covered with the bed and custom made (excited about this) headboard. i don’t like covering/blocking doors, but it will make the room much more functional. and it’s the only combination i can use two night stands.
this is the sitting room. the bathroom is on the left behind the wallpapered wall, it separates the two spaces. the door that is open leads to the hallway and acts as the entrance to the room.
the wood above the windows is the beginning of my new window treatments. (i got a head start before i started taking pictures). so excited to see how these turn out. details coming.
again, the ceiling fan will go and be replaced with a chandelier instead of a fan. wallpaper will be removed on this wall. the day bed will go against the currently wallpapered wall. this wall is also going to get two amazing wall sconces i’m going to make.
a small dresser and tv will go against this wall.
so that takes care of all ‘the before’ stuff. this is essentially how the rooms looks as i’m typing this, minus some wallpaper. i’m painting the ceiling (white), the trim (as is…white) and the walls (a grey or really light yellow). i’m sewing all the curtains (3 sets), bed skirts (queen and twin) and pillows (a lot). i’m also making the headboard and two fancy/vintage sconces. plus some other fun art work. i have really high hopes of completing all, or most of this, by next friday. any encouraging words are welcomed. meanwhile i’ll be busy cleaning rooms, cooking breakfast, working in the shoppe, making baskets and all that other fun stuff.
there will be other projects (painting furniture … additional accessories … paint the bathroom) but these can come after the room is ‘finished’. the goal is to get it back ‘on the market’ asap.
so, i hope you’ll stay with me and i’ll do my best to share as much as i can along the way. and lets hope things move a little easier than my attempts to remove wallpaper from textured walls. oy vey.
well folks, no pretty pictures here today. just some tragic before shots. remember i mentiond i was decorating? i was delayed a week, but the madness is about to begin. i’m giving one of my guest rooms a little makeover! so onto those before shots … you ready? so the garden suite, on of my […]
it’s been months since i’ve made jam, before christmas i think.
so with my shelves empty and the phone ringing with requests, it was finally time to fill my shelves again.
first up, and probably most requested, champagne ginger peach. if i had a recipe, i’d share it, but i honestly don’t. i basically follow the recipe for peach jam included with the fruit pectin. then i add candied ginger slices and champagne. i use this. which technically isn’t champagne but it’s super tasty and a little sweet. perfect for jam.
i always add extra pectin to my jam to ensure it sets. after making over 1,000 jars of jam in the past two years i can finally tell by the consistency if i need more.
i also made pineapple blueberry. again another reasonably requested jam. thankfully i had fresh peaches frozen from last summer and pineapple and blueberries were available at the grocery. great winter jams.
i made really big batches this time around. i even had to use two pots for both batches!
i made sixty jars. fifteen have already left the shoppe. i think i’m going to be making more jam quicker than i wanted. what’s next? i’ve been wanting to try a four citrus jam … orange, lemon, grapefruit and tangerine.
a taste of summer in the dead of winter. sounds perfect.
it’s been months since i’ve made jam, before christmas i think. so with my shelves empty and the phone ringing with requests, it was finally time to fill my shelves again. first up, and probably most requested, champagne ginger peach. if i had a recipe, i’d share it, but i honestly don’t. i basically follow the recipe for […]
the challenge is going to begin when mms reaches 4000 followers. and she’s almost there! i’d say tomorrow or friday at the latest. you can read more about it here:
anyway here’s my take on her sign. and for those who don’t know what an apiary is… it’s a place where bees and beehives are kept. (i knew it had to do with bees … but i wasn’t positive. just keepin’ it real)
the wood is from an old shed that was torn down in lovely pennsylvania that i’ve used for other signs. i really worked this wood to get a nice golden color.
i love all the knots and beautiful texture. isn’t old wood incredible. so much character.
it almost tells it’s own story. love that!
the next sign was inspired by an image i printed off the internet a couple months ago. again, i don’t have a source so i do apologize. i’ve just started using pinterest thanks to my friend kim, so hopefully that will allow me to keep better track of these things.
i just love this quote. especially for us bloggers … even though we are technically not using pens. but you get it.
this sign was painted on a shelf from an antique cabinet. i painted the whole thing black and ‘beat it up’ and sanded it a bit to add some vintage character and texture. the little groves on the bottom would have been used to hold plates or platters.
they created the perfect spot for an extra special line of text. don’t ya think?
this is probably one of my favorites so far. and probably the most time intensive.
thanks to all your kind words and encouragement, i have decided to list all my signs on etsy. they’ll be up early next week. i’ll give you more information about all of that on friday. i’m excited … but a bit nervous.
i’ve been busy painting! yay. it’s actually been so much fun. and it’s amazing how destressifying (is that a word) it is. this first sign may look familiar. if you follow miss mustard seed, then you’ve seen it. i’m actually hoping to enter this in her and donna’s copy me challenge. the challenge is going […]
are you sick of seeing my dining room yet? no? good. i promise to share pictures of some of my other rooms. i just haven’t done any major changes there yet. but it’s coming … and soon. so you remember the pictures i had on my dining room walls before? if not check here and here.
so the other day when i posted that story/poem my guest wrote for me i paired it with some pictures i took standing on my back porch. nothing fancy.
just the tops of leafless trees set against a grey-ish blue sky.
i took a total of nine pictures and had them printed at wal-mart as 8x10s. the cost was around $20. i filled up my frames (which i got at the family dollar for like $6 per frame – i know a steal – and they look super expensive).
i was actually nervous about doing this. i just wasn’t sure how it would look.
but i’m so glad i took the risk. i think for this time of year it couldn’t be more perfect. and i’m really digging the grey-ish blue against the orange-ish yellow walls.
it’s so light and clean. perfect for january. these won’t stay here forever. that’s what i love about this wall art. i can change up the photos whenever i get tired of it (which happens often). and it only costs me twenty bucks each time.
and the images are so peaceful, yet really interesting.
and i’m always amazing how much my guests like to look at these images. people are constantly commenting on them. whether they like them or not, at least they are talking about them. and that’s what art is all about. right?
so be confident! go take some pictures of some random stuff. get them printed and hang them up. you may just surprise yourself.
and it’s the final day to enter the giveaway if you haven’t already done so. good luck!!
are you sick of seeing my dining room yet? no? good. i promise to share pictures of some of my other rooms. i just haven’t done any major changes there yet. but it’s coming … and soon. so you remember the pictures i had on my dining room walls before? if not check here and […]
i did it! after months of this fabric sitting in my cupboard i finally made my curtains. and there’s even some leftover fabric for a pillow or two! yay.
so … what do you think?
i love them.
the process of sewing them was really smooth. i did learn a few things for the next time i made curtains. but there is no tutorial here. i’m just lucky they are made and hung. i loosely used this tutorial and this tutorial as a guide.
and they are not perfect.
but perfect is overrated.
i love that i made them.
i love that they are original and that no other house in this whole world has curtains like these. there’s something to be said for that.
and i still love this fabric. and now i get to look at it everyday.
and for those of you that have a sewing machine that’s still in a box … or unused. don’t be afraid. trust me. if i can do it. you can do it.
and besides … what do you have to lose.
*UPDATE* the fabric is an antique store find – totally vintage.
i did it! after months of this fabric sitting in my cupboard i finally made my curtains. and there’s even some leftover fabric for a pillow or two! yay. so … what do you think? i love them. the process of sewing them was really smooth. i did learn a few things for the next […]
won’t you stop back tomorrow and see them finished? keep your fingers crossed.
oh.. and there will be a giveaway too. i’ve exceeded 300 followers! and a promise is a promise.
…and i’m extra happy today. parks and rececration returns tonight. it is seriously my favorte half hour of the week. this show kills me.
seriously. kils. me.
i’m finally doing it! aren’t you proud? i’m making my curtains. and… so far. so good. really good. won’t you stop back tomorrow and see them finished? keep your fingers crossed. oh.. and there will be a giveaway too. i’ve exceeded 300 followers! and a promise is a promise. …and i’m extra happy today. parks […]
for a while now i have been admiring how many bloggers have added watermarks to their blog photographs. some would use text. some would add graphics. either way i really liked it.
so, one day, a couple weeks ago, a spent hours trying to figure out how to add my logo to my images. i had no luck. it was sad. trying to remove the white box around the image was near impossible … to me at least.
so then i tried just adding plain text. should be simple enough. it sort of worked. but it took a while and i couldn’t waste the time doing that to every photo i wanted to add to my blog … and i really wanted the images portion of my logo on there. i should also note that while i have photoshop (elements) i really have no idea what i’m doing.
so after making several additional attempts after my initial battle, i gave up. but as you can see from my images. i did not fail.
i decided to work smarter instead of harder. i called up my amazingly talented logo designer rachel of puremotif and put the task in her hands.
and, as expected, she did an amazing job. she’s the one that originally designed my logo, so who better to make it into a watermark. right?
i think they turned out great! don’t you? in addition to tagging my blog photos, i want to turn some of my images into postcards or greeting cards for my shoppe and a couple other project too! i’m thinking about using moo.com. i’ve been loving some of their work i’ve seen through other bloggers.
so a huge thanks to rachel. and take a minute to pop over to her amazing site and share the love. she not only designs logos, but it an amazing photographer! her wedding shots are just breath taking. i adore creative people.
oh, i’m so excited. for a while now i have been admiring how many bloggers have added watermarks to their blog photographs. some would use text. some would add graphics. either way i really liked it. so, one day, a couple weeks ago, a spent hours trying to figure out how to add my logo to my […]
on a cold january morning a texan woke up to a cold, cold, grey day. it would have been the easiest thing to allow the desolate chill of the sky seep into her bones.
happily she woke up in the toasty warm bed that smelled ever so gently of spring flowers.
waking up, the single star of home greeted her from the wall and gorgeous smells of warmth and care wafted up from the kitchen.
texas in july could never feel so warm.
thank you, michael
life is good in your care.
written by a guest on january 14th, 2011
on a cold january morning a texan woke up to a cold, cold, grey day. it would have been the easiest thing to allow the desolate chill of the sky seep into her bones. happily she woke up in the toasty warm bed that smelled ever so gently of spring flowers. waking up, the single […]
… made this (oatmeal cookie coffee cake) for breakfast. i mean come on, who could resist a recipe with both cookie and cake in the title. i omitted the raisins. i found it to be extremely delightful. it was served with blueberry buttermilk pancakes, maple apple sausage, scrambled eggs and fruit.
… discovered a 1/4 inch quilting foot for my sewing machince because of this blog. remember how i mentioned i had a hard time keeping a straight line. well… this could help! really. i think it will. i already ordered it. yeah, that’s right. i don’t mess around.
… sadly i’m having some issues with my globe project i mentioned yesterday. here’s a teeny tiny preview. but it’s debut may be delayed to next week. i hope. it could turn out to be a giant fail … which would be okay because now i know how to avoid the problem in the future. keep your fingers crossed won’t you?
… am slightly obsessed with this song. do you know adele? she is coming out with her sophomore album on february 22nd. i’ve already heard a couple songs and i’m already in love. i adore her voice. i get goosebumps every time i hear her songs.who are you listening to and loving these days?
aren’t they beautiful!? ahh! i adore the font. love it. i have some left over dropcloth from a display i did in the gift shoppe that would be perfect. maybe i could make some napkins or a table runner. who knows? i also found this fabric paint. sadly, as some of you already know, the closest craft store (joanns) is about 45 minutes from my house. the closest michael’s/acmoore is about 1.5 hours. i know. it’s terrible. thank goodness for online shopping and free shipping!
… was sooooo excited to see my kitchen table project on better after. that girl lindsey is the best! and i love the story she wrote to accompany the project. head over and check it out.
… can’t believe i’m almost at 300 followers. it’s unreal! and i know to some of you this may be peanuts, but i’m super excited and thankful and honored. i actually am planning a little giveaway once i hit that 300 mark, so stay tuned for that.
… was touched that my guests thought of me during their tour of local wineries yesterday. true beauty in the little things.
… need a nap. i’ve been a bit cranky inside the past couple days. i guess i’m in a bit of a funk. not feeling overly inspired. i think it’s a combination of my diet (i totally need some french fries and a big piece of cake … that could possibly solve everything), this snow (is it april, yet) and a lack of sleep. ever have one of those days/week. blah.
here’s to a brighter tomorrow!
… made this (oatmeal cookie coffee cake) for breakfast. i mean come on, who could resist a recipe with both cookie and cake in the title. i omitted the raisins. i found it to be extremely delightful. it was served with blueberry buttermilk pancakes, maple apple sausage, scrambled eggs and fruit. … discovered a 1/4 inch quilting […]
for some reason my little blog was ‘flooded’ with people this weekend. i honestly can’t thank you enough for all your amazing comments … a big welcome to all my new followers. you all really made my weekend. seriously. thank you.
if you hadn’t realized yet, one of my favorite hobbies is antiquing! luckily there are couple great shops within twenty minutes of my house. which, i suppose could be a bad thing. but then again who needs to eat when when you have a new antique to play with. am i right!?
anyway, on saturday i was lucky enough to score two amazing finds. i’ve learned that when i go antiquing it’s best that i don’t go looking for something specific. that way i’m open for things to find me. sounds crazy. but it works.
my first find was this antique ladder from a men’s store some where in new york state.
love it! my favorite part is how it narrows towards the top. i knew i had to have it for my gift shoppe. it measured eleven feet, so i had to cut off about a foot and a half to get it to fit. but it’s perfect.
and so well built too. i have some new linens coming in soon so i think i’ll use it to display them. but who knows.
love the exposed nails and weathered wood.
and then i found another globe! which was perfect because i have a super cool project in mind for it. i was busy working on it last night. i hope to share the finished piece tomorrow or wednesday at the latest.
have you found any great things antiquing or thrifting lately? i love a good story!
that’s it for today. kind of a busy monday around here.
thanks again to everyone. you guys are seriously the best!
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wow. i’m seriously speechless. for some reason my little blog was ‘flooded’ with people this weekend. i honestly can’t thank you enough for all your amazing comments … a big welcome to all my new followers. you all really made my weekend. seriously. thank you. if you hadn’t realized yet, one of my favorite hobbies […]
i updated the wall for the winter season about a month ago and i totally forgot to share it with you! bad michael!
anyway… here’s how it looks right now…
i was inspired by a wall decal i found on etsy a while back. but i can’t for the life of me find it now. sorry about that.
i thought it turned out pretty cute. over the holidays i had a couple wreaths on the windows and swags on the windowsills.
i haven’t received my spring wreaths yet, so that’s just a random sprig of forsythia hanging there, but you get the idea. isn’t that little cat so cute? love him.
and if you haven’t noticed i’ve added some new button/links to the sidebar on the right. i finally updated the about me page. so feel free to give it a read if you’d like.
do you remember a while back when i showed you my chalkboard wall in the gift shoppe? no? well, click here to catch up, then come back here and continue reading. i updated the wall for the winter season about a month ago and i totally forgot to share it with you! bad michael! anyway… […]
wow. what a week! i’m really happy the weekend is here. next week is a busy one too. which i’m actually particularly happy about. this time of year things are typically quite slow around the bed & breakfast and shoppe so i’m welcoming the activity with open arms.
i have a lot of randomness to share today lets dive right in shall we?
as i’ve mentioned before, i love linking up other blogs and introducing you all to some of the people out there that i love and am inspired by.
keswick and country is another new-to-me blog. and i’m absolutely loving it. i do adore her glamours/country/neutral/yet colorful look that fills the pages of her blog. and i was super excited to see this morning that she’s having a giveawaydreamy giveaway.
and it’s quite the giveaway people. it includes a french canning jar, an antique german grain sack, french ticking lavender filled pillow and dried lavender bundle. can you even believe this!? so excited!
so even though by having you enter will limit my chances of wining i wanted to share it with you anyway! head on over and enter, and while your their, due check out some of her other posts. i know you’ll be inspired!
next up, i want to share my latest goodwill find.
antique suitcases! aren’t they great?
they need a little cleaning here and there … and their not in perfect shape (nor should they be) … but all the little locks work so well.
and it still has a key! and the best part … hold on to your seats! both pieces were only $2. that’s right. two bucks! i’m not sure where they’ll go but that kind of deal was too good to past.
i’m also prepping to hang my curtains (once i sew them of course!).
so i hung the curtain rod yesterday in order to get proper measurements for curtain length.
which surprising i found at walmart. i actually really like it! and i have this, this and this chandelier in my downstairs/common areas (and yes i do realize i have a slight obsession with pottery barn light fixtures … but can you blame me?)
so i feels it ties in quite perfectly with the whole glass ball ‘theme’.
i also got goosebumps today. there i was, minding my own business, scrolling through my google reader checkin’ all my favorite blogs, and their it was … one of my hand painted signs. can you believe it!? so honored. while i was there, i feel head over slippers for this camera display.
i adore this! beautiful, right? i’ve always wanted a vintage camera collection. if you didn’t already know that. and the wall color is perfect. they just pop!
and finally i don’t know if i ever introduced you to vivian. she’s the keeper of the gift shoppe. vivian, who was named by my sister-in-law, arrived when i first opened my shop. originally i intended to sell her, but never had the heart too. so now she’s here to stay.
she’d been moved around here and there but has had the same ‘hair’ (a fern) for about two years.
well, this winter vivian was kind of neglected. (shame on me) and her hair ‘died’ … literally. so with spring around the corner (please hurry) i felt she needed a new do for 2011.
what do you think?
a little more sleek and modern i’d say. very 2011.
i hope you enjoyed my randomness. have make an amazing weekend!
wow. what a week! i’m really happy the weekend is here. next week is a busy one too. which i’m actually particularly happy about. this time of year things are typically quite slow around the bed & breakfast and shoppe so i’m welcoming the activity with open arms. i have a lot of randomness to […]
i just noticed its been a while since i’ve posted a recipe. yikes. and since i’ve been dying to try out the new camera with some food shots, today was the perfect day!
so the menu today was breakfast quesadillas, skillet klondike rose potatoes, berry, granola and yogurt parfait and cherry cream cheese danish. yum! this is another one of my ‘no recipe’ recipes. it’s super duper easy and the results are truly delish. seriously.
the only thing i must stress, since the ingredients are very basic (and there’s not very many of them) use really good ingredients. it makes a big difference. your guilty pleasure wal-mart brand salsa, sour cream and cheese just aren’t going to cut it.
so the first thing you’ll need are some good tortilla shells. i use mexamerica. i use these because they are tasty and delish AND they are made right here in st. marys!! can you belive it!?
anyway, scramble and cook about four large eggs. once cooked i add in about one green onion (scallion) chopped. you can just add it when you assemble your quesadilla but i like mine slightly cooked/heated.
then on a heated and greased griddle set your tortilla. on half the tortilla add your scrambled eggs. then you can basically add whatever you’d like. im my case i added some leftover bacon. you could do ham, sausage or go meatless.
then add some cheese to make everything stick together. lots of cheese. yum.
fold over the other half of the tortilla. and cook on both sides until lightly browned.
cut up in to fancy wedges, add a dollop of sour cream and some super good salsa ( i used a homemade salsa) and dig in!
looks good, right? this also make a great breakfast for dinner kinda meal. love that.
oh, and thanks again for even more sign love yesterday. you guys rock. you really do!
i just noticed its been a while since i’ve posted a recipe. yikes. and since i’ve been dying to try out the new camera with some food shots, today was the perfect day! so the menu today was breakfast quesadillas, skillet klondike rose potatoes, berry, granola and yogurt parfait and cherry cream cheese danish. yum! this […]
well, first, a million and one ‘thank yous’ for all the love you gave me yesterday about my table and signs. you people are ah-mazing. sure know how to make a guy feel special. (and it’s nice to see so many ‘the office’ fans out there!)
i wanted to share two more signs with you today … hope you like them.
this first sign i made from a text/graphic i found on a blog. i don’t remember where, so i do apologize. (if you know – shoot me an email.)
i’ve been saving images and sayings in a file on my computer for signs i want to make. this quote i found a couple weeks ago and thought it would make a great sign!
the text is in an orangish yellow. i pieced together two oddly cut boards. i think the combination works really nice. and since the snow doesn’t want to seem to stop falling from the sky today, i can just look at this here sign and think of brighter tomorrows.
this next sign is completely 100% inspired by a sign i saw here. in fact, other than the wood it’s painted on, the text is pretty much identical.
i’ve been in love with this sign for quite some time so i knew i had to make it. i love how it looks on my new shelf.
i gave the wood a blueish/greyish feel. it may be hard to tell in my pictures, but it’s there. again i used some old wood piece together. which reminds me, i got this wood from the wonderful people at r.m. smith lumber & wood. i found them via an ebay search. it turns out they live sorta nearby. (shout out to all my fellow pennsylvanians!) i believe they are tearing down a shed so this is where all the wood is coming from. they have a facebook page, and also do a little blogging too. in fact they just shipped me some more wood today! yay.
oh, and my kitty jax wanted to say hi. he’s a little shy/scared of the camera as you can tell from the expression on his face. but isn’t he the sweetest?
hope you’re having the best wednesday ever! unless your jen, in which case i hope you and your family feel better soon. being sick is the pits!
well, first, a million and one ‘thank yous’ for all the love you gave me yesterday about my table and signs. you people are ah-mazing. sure know how to make a guy feel special. (and it’s nice to see so many ‘the office’ fans out there!) i wanted to share two more signs with you today […]
like i said i’ve painted about six signs and my little kitchen table. i’ll show you a couple signs today and my little table. i show you the rest throughout the week and maybe into next week.
so, first my kitchen table. i found it at my favorite antique shop. the top used to look like this.
which, from this picture, doesn’t look too bad. but it wasn’t good. there was a bunch of deep scratches. the coloring was really poor. it didn’t match my kitchen. etc.
the whole thing got several (like six coats!) of white paint. i kept the legs the original deep burgundy color. love that.
then i painted on the word ‘eat.’
better, right?
the top of this table used to drive me bananas. ba-freakin-nanas. not anymore. i love it!
the first sign is my grocery sign, which if you follow me on twitter, you’ll remember i tweeted about wanting to make one of these a couple weeks ago.
well, i did it!
and i adore it!
this sign is mine to keep. the rest of my signs will end up in my gift shoppe for sale. if i get enough interest i may put some in my etsy shoppe. (which is currently sad and empty) think i should?
the finishing touch to my dining room. don’t ya think?
and this final sign (for today) i just love.
and for those of you who watch the office you’ll know where i got this idea.
dwight kills me. (as you may know from my office facebook status references) ha-freakin-larious. he owns a beet farm. his last name is schrute. hence, schrute farms.
and i just love the little beet graphic! (i acutally may end up keeping this one too.)
so what do you think? love them? hate them?
more to come! and at some point i’ll show you a couple tips for making these signs.
i really hope i haven’t built up my painting skills or projects by showing you pictures of me painting and telling you i was painting. like i said i’ve painted about six signs and my little kitchen table. i’ll show you a couple signs today and my little table. i show you the rest throughout the […]
hello friends. how was you weekend? i slept in until 10 am on sunday. it was amazing. (i honestly haven’t slept that long in years. years!) then i had a super productive day and was full of energy. it’s amazing what a good nights sleep can do.
also this weekend, as i looked through several of my favorite bloggers’ posts i noticed many are taking time to thank the blogs that provide the most traffic to their site. since linking things up is a big part of blogging, i thought i’d share the love and thank the wonderful people that have provided me lots of appreciated traffic over this past year.
and coincidentally these are some of my favorite blogs too. so i highly recommend checking them out if you already haven’t.
so, to you, my top five, thank you so much for sending your readers my way. i can’t tell you how much i appreciate it. i hope i’ve somehow done the same for you.
and in the spirit of thank yous, i need to send out an extremely special thank you to one of my readers. today in the mail (snail mail) i received an amazing card full of the most amazing sentiments about me and my blog. i will cherish this card and keep it handy for when i’m not feeling ‘strong, positive and ambitious.’ you know who you are … thank you. thank you!!
i also had some time to discover some really brilliant and amazing new-to-me blogs. it never seizes to amaze me the talent that exists in this world. so if you have a spare moment please check out one or all of these blogs. i promise you won’t be disappointed.
vivienne mcmaster – some of the most beautiful, meaningful and heartfelt photography i’ve seen.
keswick and country – beautiful, white and airy with a splash of color decor. vintage met modern -beautiful. ‘nuf said.
the 1829 farmhouse – i love me a bit of contemporary. but there’s something about country, chippy paint and rusty junk that i’ll always love. this suits the later.
jolly goode gal – love her style. a bit scandinavian – robins egg blue, pinks, reds. just beautiful. great ideas too!
in color order – and last but not least. this woman blows my mind. the stuff she quilts is genius. i think my mouth was open the whole time i looked through her blog. check out this quilt. adding it to my to do list. already hunting down vintage sheets. bought the pattern online this morning.
and finally this weekend (told you i had a productive day!) i removed all the leftover christmas merchandise in my gift shoppe. i took all the pictures in this post of one of my trees. one of the reasons i couldn’t wait to get my new camera was to be able to take bokeh shots. i think these turned out great! don’t you? wouldn’t they look great blown up and hung on a wall? or framed and hung in a series. love me some ‘free artwork’!!
hello friends. how was you weekend? i slept in until 10 am on sunday. it was amazing. (i honestly haven’t slept that long in years. years!) then i had a super productive day and was full of energy. it’s amazing what a good nights sleep can do. also this weekend, as i looked through several of […]
this week i took my new sewing machine out of the box and sewed something. aren’t you proud? i am!
as i keep saying i need to make curtains, but my i wanted to practice a bit and get to know my machine before i attempted my them. following many other blogs, i see a lot of you lovely ladies out there have some pretty snazzy camera strap covers. i looked all over etsy and couldn’t find one that favored the masculine side. so i decided to search for a tutorial and make my own.
my search lead me to this blog … little girl studio… and this tutorial. after reading through the tutorial and gathering my supplies, off i went. and i apologize, since i was focusing on sewing, i didn’t take pictures of my process. but here’s the finished piece.
not too shabby, right?
all in all it did turn out pretty good for my first official attempt at sewing and on my brand new machine. i can’t be to hard on myself.
i probably should have read the manual/directions to my machine before getting started, but i didn’t. i’m more of a hands on type of guy and will refer to the manual when necessary. i just wanted to get right in there. it may not be the ‘best’ way, but it works for me.
for those of you wondering, the machine works great. i love it. the process of threading the machine was painless and easy. it seemed to work smooth. no issues. i like the look of it. great purchase .. well gift.
i also really enjoyed the process of making something too. although, as you can see in the picture below, i do need practice. it’s hard to keep the darn thing going straight! but that’s a user issue… not a machine issue. advice?
so my lines are perfect, but i’m okay with that. there’s beauty in imperfection.
i just painted my kitchen table top (more details on that later) so i see a homemade runner in my future. any suggestions? patterns?
well, i did it! this week i took my new sewing machine out of the box and sewed something. aren’t you proud? i am! as i keep saying i need to make curtains, but my i wanted to practice a bit and get to know my machine before i attempted my them. following many other blogs, […]
hello blog buddies! i’m sure you’ve seen this chalkboard globe floating around the internet or in your favorite inspiration catalog.
isn’t she lovely!? yes! but the price tag …$300!! … not so lovely. this has diy written all over it.
last summer i found this globe stand at my local antique shop (even though i don’t really think it’s an antique). i picked it up for $10 – $15 bucks with the intention of at least painting the stand portion (not a big fan of the honey colored wood).
the globe and stand had some great bones. perfect condition. those little bumps where the mountains are … detailed graphics … sturdy … etc.
part of me almost didn’t wait to paint it … but for $15, i decided to be confident and take the risk! so … without further adiue… check out my new chalkboard globe!!
isn’t she lovely!?
how’d i do it? easy. i removed the globe from the stand (easier said that done). i painted the stand and armature with a black/charcoal hammered finished metal spray paint. and i used chalkboard spray paint (yes! – it does exist. i got mine at wal-mart) to cover the globe.
then i used some white acrylic paint to do the outlines of the states, the equator and little compass and other fun markings around the globe. and while it looks beautiful i can pretty much guarantee that it’s not geographically correct. so don’t grab this globe if you find yourself lost. trust me. you may end up in an ocean somewhere.
i’m not sure where it’s going to go (not here because it would block the staircase a bit … i just like how it looks with my blueprints.)
so for fifteen bucks and some leftover spraypaint i have a new $300 globe! please don’t tell anyone it’s not the real thing. 😉
what do you think!?
hello blog buddies! i’m sure you’ve seen this chalkboard globe floating around the internet or in your favorite inspiration catalog. isn’t she lovely!? yes! but the price tag …$300!! … not so lovely. this has diy written all over it. last summer i found this globe stand at my local antique shop (even though i […]
january is all about simplifying around here. organizing, cleaning and removing the excess are top priorities for this month.
so while some of you may argue that this centerpiece/display is a bit ‘cluttered’, i’m loving the look!
you remember my glass christmas ornament centerpiece from december? for those of you that are new followers to inspiredbycharm click here to check it out.
but i started with this mess of seemingly ugly candlesticks.
they all got a coat of white primer, then a coat of white lacquer spray paint. (isn’t spray paint the best!?)
i had some white and green taper and beeswax candles on hand. i also picked up a few more at goodwill and walmart.
and this is what i came up with …
i’ve been loving the look of candlesticks recently and with several on hand the investment of a few more was under five dollars.
the varying shades of green match my new tablecloth (which i showed you yesterday) perfectly. it also works really nicely with my winter display i showed you last week. and the wood ‘thing’ underneath is a vintage washing machine agitator i scored at an antique shop a couple years ago.
ahhh. fresh. clean. beautiful. just what the new year ordered. can you imagine what this thing would look like with all the candles lit? i’ll be sure to take a picture if i decide to light them.
really beautiful inspiration over there so check it out. there is something so refreshing and clean about white in january. i’m loving it! great challenge for the first week of the new year!
january is all about simplifying around here. organizing, cleaning and removing the excess are top priorities for this month. so while some of you may argue that this centerpiece/display is a bit ‘cluttered’, i’m loving the look! you remember my glass christmas ornament centerpiece from december? for those of you that are new followers to […]
i’m happy to report i just stumbled upon two ‘new-to-me’ blogs (details below), and it couldn’t have come at a better time. for the past week or so i’ve had a word document on my computer screen entitled ‘2011 resolutions.’ to be honest, i’ve never been a fan of resolutions, but for some reason i always feel they are necessary. so, i worked on my resolution list over the past couple weeks. unfortunately, the more it grew, the more overwhelmed and stressed i seemed to get. yes, i did feel some sense of motivation and encouragement as i usually do when i’m making a list, but before the new year even began i was feeling overwhelmed. not good.
i felt a sense of relief and enlightenment when i stumbled across kim klassens cafe (the first new-to-me blog). her idea is to focus on one little word throughout the year. amazing, yes? one singular word. simple. no long lists of resolutions. no feeling of failure when one of those resolutions falls by the wayside. i love it.
and don’t get me wrong i still have my goals and aspirations, these are important, but no resolutions here.
so as you may have guessed from the title of this post, my one little word for 2011 is confidence.
i’ve honestly never been very good with confidence and i feel it’s become even more shockingly clear these days. for example i have some photos i’ve taken hanging in my dining room. (you’ve seen them) often people will ask, ‘are you the photographer?’ and i quickly answer, ‘no.’ – even though i took every photograph. another example, people come into my shop and say, ‘are you a designer?’ and i answer, ‘no.’ – even though i designed every display in the shop. or ‘did you make this pasty for scratch?’ … ‘um, yeah, but it was really easy.’ am i making sense?
beyond ‘believing in myself and my abilities’, as the definition of confidences reads. i also think having a strong sense of confidence will encourage me to be more motiviated. to take more risks. try new things without fear of failure and so on. a step in the right directoion.
and i wish you the best this new year with your one little word… or your resolutions… or your goals… or whatever method works best for you. you can check out kim’s post for inspiration and ideas for creating your own one little word. or you can visit the shutter sisters (the second new-to-me blog) who also do the same thing, but focus on one word a month.
so take that 2011! i’m ready for you!
i’m happy to report i just stumbled upon two ‘new-to-me’ blogs (details below), and it couldn’t have come at a better time. for the past week or so i’ve had a word document on my computer screen entitled ‘2011 resolutions.’ to be honest, i’ve never been a fan of resolutions, but for some reason i always […]
when you’re lonely, i wish you love. when you’re down, i wish you joy.
when you’re troubled, i wish you peace. when things seem empty, i wish you hope.
thanks for a great 2010. have the happiest of new years!
when you’re lonely, i wish you love. when you’re down, i wish you joy. when you’re troubled, i wish you peace. when things seem empty, i wish you hope. thanks for a great 2010. have the happiest of new years!
i can’t believe how many of you take down your christmas/holiday decorations so early! boy all that work and the day after christmas your tearing it all down. well if you come visit me, mine stays up until january 1st. at least.
with that being said, i did decide to change up one of my displays a bit earlier than usual. i don’t know about you, but i always struggle with decorating from january through march. it’s too early for spring … i’m not really into valentine’s decorations … and all the sparkle and color is gone from christmas … no wonder people get cabin fever (well those of us that live where the temperatures are below freezing and where there is snow on the ground six months of the year.)
well, i cleared the decks, put on my thinking/decoration cap and created a seasonally appropriate display.
last year i bought several bags of those scented pinecones at 75% off at walmart. so i busted them out and used them as my inspiration.
what do you think?
i filled the glass globe jars with pinecones and tied on a metal snowflake with some twine.
i scattered some more pinecones around. (love that big one!)
i think that wood tray type this was once used in a toolbox to keep screw/nails separated. found it at a flea market a couple years ago.
i then added some pine and white berries to the vases.
seasonal without being christmas-y! i did it!
how do you decorate this time of year?
i can’t believe how many of you take down your christmas/holiday decorations so early! boy all that work and the day after christmas your tearing it all down. well if you come visit me, mine stays up until january 1st. at least. with that being said, i did decide to change up one of my displays a […]
i don’t know about you, but i’m not a big fan of christmas on a saturday. it seems so rushed and quick. right? i can’t believe its over!
if you celebrated i hope you had a wonderful christmas! i know i did. santa was very good to me. i did get my sewing machine. yay! and lots of fun accessories.
i’m so excited to pull it out of the box and start learning and investigating! but (un)fortunately i’m really busy this week so i don’t think it will be happening until this weekend or next week. i need some room to spread out. my goal is to make a set of curtains before my mom finishes a set of curtains she’s been working on since the fall. think i can beat her?
i also saved up some money (and with some added christmas funds) i was able to purchase this.
yep. a new camera. i’m literally peeing my pants with excitement. according to ups.com it arrives tomorrow. so i’m frantically trying to complete everything on my to-do list today so i can play with this guy all day tomorrow (in between checking in guests, cleaning rooms and working in the shoppe … big sale this week!)
i honestly probably shouldn’t have bought this camera as it’s not necessarily a ‘need’ in my life right now. but after the craziness of the past couple months (and year)… and sadly no break to speak of over the holidays, i feel i more than deserve it … and i know it will be money well spent.
beautiful, right? i wanted something that didn’t look so much like a camera bag. i couldn’t find it for sale anywhere in the states, so mine is shipping (free) from south korea. it’s not going to be here for a couple weeks. but i don’t mind waiting.
i got a bunch of other goodies that i’m sure i’ll share over time. and even though all my gifts were great, i was honestly most happy for some much needed family time. lots of yummy food. a couple glasses of wine. and lots of peace and joy. i hope you and yours were able to enjoy much of the same.
i don’t know about you, but i’m not a big fan of christmas on a saturday. it seems so rushed and quick. right? i can’t believe its over! if you celebrated i hope you had a wonderful christmas! i know i did. santa was very good to me. i did get my sewing machine. yay! and […]
