merry christmas and happy new year!

(photo enhanced by k.linn.designz)

from our home to yours

 

busy reasons

life has been so very busy and here are some very good reasons why:


my parents

dad has been in and out of hospital since mid september but is now doing much better...mom is the caregiver and is getting worn out.  we are trying to do what we can to give them the help they need at this time. 

a new puppy

she's a rescue that came complete with fleas...and we are finally at the end of that mess but still working on the housetraining.  she's a sweetheart and her name is laci.

new "old" flooring in bathroom

bathroom renovation is still ongoing but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  i am really hoping we'll be done in the next few weeks..at least with a working toilet and sink.  it's a good thing we have another full bathroom.

how to repurpose lathe 

projects galore and many more waiting in line.



1950's Harlequin Round Covered Vegetable Bowl
SOLD!

 setting up my etsy shop amidst the chaos and selling my first item..woo hoo!

i sure do miss posting and have been working on a few behind the scenes.  i do visit blogs when i can just to keep inspired.  i miss you all...and hope to be back in the saddle soon.

S is for simple

sim.ple: adj.
elementary: easy and not involved or complicated

here's an idea for those of you who love anything metal or galvanized like mu-wha.  i have these red, rubber coated "s" hooks in my pantry/closet that i use to hang bags and other sorts of periphernalia. they are quite handy, however, i wasn't lovin' the color or the coating...

just wasn't me

i'm sure you know what i mean.  

i got to thinking...."hmmm...i wonder what's underneath that rubbery stuff?"

so i grabbed me some scissors and hacked away at them to find

this

wonderful.raw.steel

much better!

i'm not sure where i bought these as they've been here for years incognito,

but i do know that i didn't pay much for them.

an online search (plastic coated s hooks) showed most to be about 50 cents

hello goodbye

i waivered on whether to post on this or not...since this really isn't about decor or junk or being thrifty...but when something is a part of your life for so very long, it's hard not to want to share and document that part of you.

hello cuddles

such a sweet face
(i was referring to the dog)

on wednesday, September 15th,

our 15 year old cairn terrier had to be put down.  



k and cuddles



playing in the snow



patiently waiting for her Christmas present of treats
always in the same bag each year
she would sit by the tree staring and waiting for it

she had stopped eating, couldn't stand and was losing control. 

all this happened within a 24 hour period.  

i had mentally prepared that this day may be coming and prayed that the decision would be clear to me.  we didn't want her to suffer or have her life prolonged due to our selfishness of not wanting her to leave us.   
she had lived 15 years, a long time for a dog. 

it wasn't an easy decision to make but i had peace about it.

she had ALWAYS been full of energy until about 6 months ago when she really started showing her age and slowing down and then about 2 months ago she started losing weight,

despite trying everything possible to add weight to her little frame. 

she had lost over 2 lbs. since mid-may when she weighed in at 12.5 lbs. 

there was difficulty in going up and down stairs, showing signs of incontinence and not wanting to eat.  thinking at first it was her age and not wanting to chew the hard food, we added water and canned food.  this worked for a while but for the week prior, she had started to eat less and less.  the thought of the end coming soon was beginning to be clearer. 

on that wednesday, she tried to eat but then couldn't hold it down. 

later in the afternoon, i heard her trying to move and found her unable to get up
with her legs splayed out. 

thinking she was weak from not eating (she hadn't really eaten the day prior) i tried peanut butter.  she loved it but that didn't last either. 

i then called our vet who wanted to see her, preparing me that we may have to make a decision.  i then contacted the kids and hubs to let them know.

our son accompanied me to the vet office, a 30 minute drive, for moral support.  we were the last to be seen, when i put cuddles down on the scale to be weighed, i had to lay her down as she couldn't stand steadily.

within moments, the vet was sure we were making the right decision.

15 years of kisses, cuddles, fun, laughter and crazy tricks

goodbye cuddles

july 31, 1995 ~ september 15, 2010

hanging out on the deck this summer





a fall wedding and decor

hi buds...

life has been SO full as of late and time has flown by so quickly, so...

with out further ado, i'd like to share what i was up to in september as an october 2nd wedding loomed on the horizon.

here are my finished projects that were commissioned by the bride for her bridesmaids as well as decor for the reception.  the bride is a dear friend's daughter, who also happens to be a dear friend of my daughter. (got that?)


 a ralph lauren tablecloth purchased at tjmaxx was partially used for all of the purses, polka dot & muslin for lining, vintage wide wale rust corduroy (from my stash) along with 3 clearanced fabric samples (black check, black stripe and green quilted). large chunky zippers, magnetic catches, and vintage buttons added to the eclectic mix.  the fabric flowers were attached with safety pins so that they were removable.

count them...10 purses-each different with coordinating fabric
(click on pic to enlarge)

next came the table numbers which were influenced by rie at home and harmony (love her style).  i used an ink-jet t-shirt transfer paper, a favorite font that i typed up in my word processor and ironed on the numbers due to a time crunch. 

believe me, the thumb was a bit numb after all that close trimming i did around each number before ironing them onto the tag

i added a small piece of interfacing at the point of the rivet hole to add strength to the burlap.

each of the tags are a double layer that are zig zagged around the edges.  rie helped me with that detail so that the tags were sturdy and would hang nicely.  about 4 feet of jute string was cut for each tag so that it could be wrapped around the neck of the vintage mason jar.

set up -day before wedding 

floral & burlap squares were added to each table for an added punch of color and texture.  two ralph lauren tablecloths were used for the tabletop (and purses) that were purchased at tjmaxx for $19.99 each.   the burlap was purchased at joann fabrics with a 40% off coupon.

wedding day with florists final touches

a centerpiece grouping

topiary centerpiece

full view

  

 and finally a vintage frame takes on a new look as a chalkboard menu. 

the frame was a sweet $1 purchase at a yard sale. 

it was originally an antique gold but i dry brushed it with apple barrel goose feather craft paint.  mr. 1829 cut a piece of luan to fit inside the frame, which i painted with chalkboard paint.  the burlap wire-edge ribbon was from ballard designs (purchased after the holidays last year).  my son's gf helped out by writing out the menu so i could finish the sewing. 

we used a vintage wood art easel to display the menu.


frame before and after dry brushing
(center frame pic is true before color)

chalkboard menu

i will leave you with some pics from the wedding reception which was held in a carriage barn built in 1809.  it was such a gorgeous setting for a wedding. 



taken the afternoon before - centerpieces still to be added

fresh flowers adorn the simple but beautiful cake

where does your garden grow (or is it go)?

entrance to the carriage barn at frog pond

a peek inside



fall decor

the bed and breakfast

(part of the rental package is an overnight stay)

sorry for the delay in my postings...

my dad has been in hospital, rehab and now home but with many issues for my

family to deal with since september.  we are all fatigued, to say the least, but blessed that he is getting better and still with us.

have a wonderful fall weekend

over one hundred followers!



roses are red, violets are blue
my blog would be no where
if it weren't for all of you!



wow...

over 100 buds !
(that would be all of you awesome followers)

it seemed like only yesterday that i had 6 or 7

thanks to ALL of you for thinking that my little spot in bloggyland is worth following. 

i am very humbled and appreciative.   

please know that you have each touched my life in some way...
from leaving thoughtful comments, great advice and to just being true to yourself

and now for a bit of fun...

in celebration of reaching this milestone in blogland

i'd like you to tell me what is the number one reason why you love to blog or follow?

and to get you started...

this is my #1 reason

decorating!
(both blogging about and following other amazing blogs)


~ ~ ~
post note:

life has been very, VERY busy
projects, new additions, and family life
thus the reason for my absence in blogland

i have LOTS of news to share...
some sad and frustrating
but mostly...
fun and happy stuff going on...
stay tuned!

Euphemisms and Hard Drives

my two year old laptop had been giving me some trouble lately.

showing me warnings like,

 

"operating system not found"

"windows shut down to prevent damage"

"unmountable boot volume"

 

and about a week ago it finally....

"bit the dust,

bought the farm,

(that would be from the farmer in the dell)

flatlined,

gave up the operating system,

kicked the hard drive,

and is

dead as a doornail."

 

Oh and wouldn't you know...

i NEVER backed up anything!

 

nada...nothing...

 

no

pictures

 

no

files

 

no

pictures

 

no

documents

 

and

did i mention

no

pictures?

 

yes, that would be the last two years worth of pics

including all my antique & junk finds, repurposed goods, holidays, family vacations, etc.

oh, i was so SICK!

really now,

how hard would it have been to plug that little zip drive in

and load it with at least my pictures?!

documents and files can be re-created

but as you know pictures cannot.

and btw most of the pics i had deleted off my camera..so no backup ANYWHERE!

 

however

(insert angels singing)

 

there is a rainbow in the midst of all this

on our way to MA last weekend
if you look to the far right, you can see the double

 

since sending my laptop to the "computer hospital"

(aka family techie friend)

he WAS able to pull off ALL the important stuff

like

PICTURES!

(doing the happy dance now)

 

i will then have a new hard drive installed into my laptop

and have everything re-installed

SO....

the moral of the story is:

BACK UP YOUR HARD DRIVE

my bloggy friends!

and have a wonderful Sunday!

*********************

i hit 100 followers yesterday..woo hoo!

more on that later

;)

a little bit of this & a little bit of that

i recently finished a project which was a gift for a dear friend for her birthday (a monumental one at that).  the original picture was purchased for $1 at a yard sale a few months ago.  it was a 1/2-inch thick wood laminated etched picture.  it was in sad shape but the size of the frame was perfect for what i had in mind.

before:

it took a. lot. of. work. due to the learning curve i was on.  the decision to remove the laminate from the back was NOT a good idea but what's one to do when you're already knee deep into the project...well, you just. keep. going. and HOPE that your mistake will develop into something better!  

i first removed the frame from the wood picture before beginning on the torturous laminate removal.  with some much needed help from mr.1829 and his trusty side-kick "blowtorch", the last bits of laminate were removed in no time.  

then once sanded, wood puttied (due to the laminate not wanting to let go of the wood AND being a bit too aggressive with the scraper) and chalkboard painted, it was well on its way.  with the addition of a little bit of this and a little bit of that from my stash of "junk", it is now a message center for her kitchen.   some of the inspiration for the elements was found via an online google of chalkboards (silverware hooks) and pottery barn (the burlap pocket).  i added the stenciled corkboards, modge podged clothespins, and scrabble tile pushpins for some funky detail as well as the yardstick border.

it was such a fun project from inspiration to design to completion...especially since it was for someone near and dear to me..."my 12th".  

you may be wondering about that number 12.  It began oh so many years ago when i came across this writing by terri camp, which i had emailed to my bff.  here is an excerpt below that explains it all.

my twelfth best friend by terri camp

...i'm guessing at this moment you are pondering how someone could actually want to claim the title of another person's twelfth best friend.  is it because i am so popular that she has gotten in line with all the others who claim "best friend" status?  is it that she is just so happy to have me for a friend she is willing to allow herself to be considered my twelfth best friend?  no.  the fact is, she had to get in line behind my family. in the best friend line, first comes Jesus, then Steve, then my eight children, followed by my dear sister, which leaves my next best friend in number twelve status.  you know, Jesus had twelve best friends, so i guess it's okay if i do too...

my bff has 9 members in her family, thus the number nine after their name.  she has a wall on the side of her pantry that i sneakily had one of her children measure to be sure it would work...it was a perfect fit!  i love it when that happens.  with the addition of heavy duty picture hangers, wall anchors and a set of chalk ink, it was finished.   

if you have any questions regarding any of the "how-to's" for this project, just shoot me an email, i'd be happy to help.

project supplies:

gorilla wood glue
gorilla super glue
modge podge
craft paint (for stencils)
5-inch stencils
scrabble tiles
thumbtacks
yardstick - cut to fit
corkboard tiles
chalkboard paint
chalk (for prepping surface)
burlap
vintage silverware: knife, fork, spoon
mini clothespins
old hymnal pages- cut to fit clothespins
chalkboard eraser 
chalk ink markers
picture hangers & wall anchors


linking up to Funky Junk Interiors SNS#45 & #69

 The CSI Project  and Transformation Thursday