My Cottage of Bliss

Jasmin

2011-12-05T09:33:00.001-05:00

Jasmin

July 30, 1997 - December 2, 2011

You were “The Best Girl”

Can We Talk?

2011-09-25T23:05:00.001-04:00

To be quite honest, I think I have been a bit out of sorts lately. You might have sensed that because I feel like it has shown in a couple of my recent blog posts.

Overall, I have a pretty sweet life. In the scheme of things, I have few stresses and nothing major to complain about but these past six or seven months have been somewhat hard on me emotionally.

During the past couple months that I have spent so much time caring for our sick and old pets, I have definitely been affected by the realization that there is a good likelihood neither of our two dogs will be around much longer. It has been difficult and extremely sad watching Bo’s body give out before his spirit. I know 14 year old Jasmin is on borrowed time too. It’s always hard losing one beloved pet but I am reminded every single day that we are probably going to have to deal with losing both dogs very close together.

Even after more than six months of being a full-time resident of Hooterville, some days I still find myself feeling displaced out here in the country and very homesick for my previous home and the city I grew up in. Despite my best efforts, the house in Hooterville still doesn’t feel like home to me yet. It’s familiar but not “home,” if that makes any sense. Maybe that’s to be expected when you live in one place *forever* and then move away.

The list of home improvement and decorating projects I want to do to this house is still quite lengthy but, for the most part, my motivation to do them has become non-existent. Every night, when I get into bed, I think about those projects and tell myself, “Tomorrow I’m going to work on… __insert 1 project from list here__.” However, when tomorrow comes, I find 101 excuses not to start that chosen project. Then, that night, I have the same mental conversation with myself again, “Tomorrow I WILL work on…” but usually I don’t.

And not only do I not feel inspired to work on house projects, I certainly don’t have the focus or motivation to blog right now either. Currently, writing posts for my blog feels more like an obligation rather than the fun hobby I want it to be. I’ve seriously considered just shutting my blog down but there is a part of me that isn’t ready to throw in the towel quite yet. I have really enjoyed the warm and friendly blogging community, as well as the creative process of blogging, so I hope my enthusiasm for blogging returns.

In the 2 + years since I started this blog, I have never actually taken what I would consider a formal break. I think now would be a good time. So, after much deliberation, I’ve made the decision to step away from my blog for awhile.

I’m not sure how long it will take me to recharge and regroup but I do hope you, my sweet, loyal readers, will still be out there when I get back.

Some of This and Some of That (A Post of Randomness)

2011-09-21T00:48:00.001-04:00

These first three weeks of September have been much like August for me. I’m still spending a lot of time in the veterinarian's office, particularly with Bo. We are really saddened by the continued and rapid deterioration in his health.

In a previous post, I mentioned Bo had a hematoma in his left ear flap we were dealing with. We ultimately had a second opinion from another vet and he placed a small cannula in the inner ear flap.

At least once a day for about 10 days, we had to unscrew the cap and drain the blood and serum that would accumulate in the ear flap. The very same day the cannula in the left ear came out, Bo developed a hematoma in the right ear so it was back to the vet to have a cannula placed in the right ear and our daily draining and bandaging ritual continued for another week. The cannula was removed from the right ear a couple days ago and much to our dismay, that ear flap seems to be filling up again. Darn hematomas!

Despite our hopes the acupuncture treatments Bo has been getting might slow down the progression of his degenerative myelopathy, it doesn’t seem to be helping. At least he doesn’t appear to be in any pain. In fact, it’s probably just the opposite; he’s losing the feeling in his hind legs. His left rear leg is becoming particularly weak and pretty much useless a large percentage of the time. The slippery laminate floors I have in part of the house are further contributing to his difficulties in walking so in an effort to try to give him a little stability, I bought some throw rugs to put down in the traffic paths but they have been only minimally helpful.

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While most of the bloggers I have been visiting seem to be excitedly decorating for fall, I am sooo not ready to let summer go. Inasmuch as my heart is longing to blow this country town and head off for an extended trip to the beach, I guess it’s not so surprising that in my free time I’m playing around with sea shells instead of pumpkins.

I piled some white shells on a glass cake pedestal.

After I hit a pair of old pitted brass candlesticks with some white spray paint, I placed the shells and candlesticks on my new-to-me Craigslist dining room table.

If hanging a dream catcher is suppose to protect against nightmares, will decorating with shells slow down the exit of summer? I can only hope.

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Bertie Higgins is hosting a Florida premiere showing of “Tango’s movie” in Palm Harbor, Florida on two nights, October 5 and October 6. Many of the movie’s scenes were filmed here on the west coast of Florida ( in Tarpon Springs, New Port Richey and Palm Harbor) so if anyone in the Tampa Bay area is interested in seeing it, you can email me for the details of the premiere location and time.

Of course, my daughter already saw the movie in July when she flew out for the California premiere. Just as I suspected, she said Tango’s scenes were really short but nevertheless, I’m anxious to now have the opportunity to see the movie.

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I have made some significant decorating progress in my family room that I would like to share but until I have some free time to take photos, here are a couple teaser photos of my inspiration.

photo source: Pottery Barn

A Craigslist Deal for the Dining Room

2011-09-07T01:15:00.001-04:00

The formal dining room at the house in Hooterville has not been a priority for me to furnish, especially when we have so many other projects I deemed more important. We have a breakfast room we use for our day-to-day meals so I couldn’t really justify spending a lot of time or money right now on a room we will likely only use at the holidays.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t have a plan for the dining room though.

About the time we were in the process of buying the house in Hooterville, the mega-talented Layla @ The Lettered Cottage designed the dining room below for one of her clients and I was instantly smitten. Layla’s design became my inspiration photo for the house in Hooterville dining room I would get finished “some day.”

(I took the liberty of flipping Layla’s photo so you can better visualize how well my favorite elements from her design would work in my dining room.)

I loved the bead board in Layla’s design so when I painted my dining room, I added my favorite Graham & Brown Super Fresco bead board wallpaper, which is available for purchase here. Although I’m not a huge fan of fabric window treatments in my own home, I was intrigued by the simple white panels used in conjunction with the bamboo roman shades. I also liked the look of the dark table, dark buffet and mirror mixed with the different styles of chairs, particularly the slip-covered parson’s chairs.

Kate @ Censational Girl has also mixed a classic style wood table with 4 parson’s chairs with short, white, pleated slip-covers in her dining room.

photo source: Censational Girl

I have actually swooned, drooled and lusted many times over the same upholstered couture parson’s chairs and short pleated slip-covers on the Ballard Designs website that Kate has. When it comes to slip-covered parson’s chairs, I think Ballard’s are the crème de la crème.

photo source: Censational Girl

But four parson’s chairs and 4 slip-covers from Ballard’s seems a bit pricey for a seldom used dining room though so, we’ll see…

About 5 weeks ago, I happened to be perusing my local Craigslist and saw a classic style mahogany dining room set for sale.

The table…

photo via the Craigslist seller

and EIGHT chairs—

2 arm chairs and 6 side chairs.

photos via the Craigslist seller

Price: $675.00

Me to Hubby: “I wasn’t really planning to buy furniture for the dining room now but we’ve GOT to go see this set!”

The set was in beautiful condition so it came home with us. He was absolutely ecstatic over the deal we got.

The top of the table is almost flawless. I need to check into getting a piece of glass cut for it to keep it that way.

In keeping with my inspiration photo from Layla, I’m now I’m on the lookout for a deal on a mahogany buffet similar to this style.source

Or, I could move this buffet to the dining room but I’d have to find a replacement for it as it is providing much needed storage in our home office.

Once I find a buffet, I think a buffet plus the 8 chairs that match the table is too matchy-matchy and too much wood for the lighter look I’m going for. My plan is to sell the 2 arm chairs and 4 of the side chairs that came with the table. I’ll keep 2 side chairs and replace the 4 I sell with 4 white slip-covered parson’s chairs. (Maybe from Ballard’s, or perhaps I can find some on Craigslist!) If I need more than 6 chairs for a family get-together, I can always pull in the 2 mahogany arm chairs I bought off Craigslist for the living room.

So, although I wasn’t planning to buy furniture for the dining room right now…

sometimes you just have to jump on a good deal when opportunity knocks.

Have you jumped on any good deals lately?

How I Spent the Month of August

2011-09-01T01:00:00.001-04:00

Wow! I can’t believe it’s September already! Can you?

Almost a month ago I promised to show you my latest and greatest Craigslist purchase.

Well, that was before I started spending so much time during August with the new veterinarian here in Hooterville. I’ve been in the office so much in recent weeks, they recognize me when I walk in the door and I’m on a first name basis with all of the staff. I feel like the vet and I are BFF’s now.

First, our cat, Bitty, was sick so off to the vet we went. Bitty made a great first impression on the new vet. (Not.)

Don’t let her cute face fool you. Miss Congeniality, this cat is not! I think they doubled my bill (just kidding… sort of) because she was such a pain to deal with, hissing and spitting and throwing her weight around like she was a several hundred pound wild tiger. She was so uncooperative, they had to keep her overnight just to get a urine sample from her.

Jasmin, our old German Shepherd, just turned 14 at the end of July.

She’s been getting periodic acupuncture treatments for the past couple years to help with her arthritis. I don’t think she would still be with us if it weren’t for the acupuncture treatments. She loves getting acupunctured and it really does help her mobility.

Jasmin was long overdue for a treatment because I hadn’t been able to find a vet close to Hooterville that did acupuncture, until the new vet who treated the cat said she was trained in acupuncture (yay! ) so I’ve been taking Jasmin to the vet 1 to 2 times a week this month for acupuncture .

Here, (young) Dr. N. is inserting the acupuncture needles. Unlike Bitty, sweet old Jasmin has quickly become one of Dr. N’s favorite patients!

Some of the needles are connected to a machine that delivers mild electrical pulses to stimulate the acupuncture points.

The acupuncture stimulates the release of endorphins and often Jasmin will doze off during the treatment because she is so relaxed.

Then there’s our problem boy, Bo. I wrote about some of the trouble he has gotten himself into here and here.

He’s now developed a condition called Degenerative Myelopathy, an autoimmune disease German Shepherds are prone to. With DM, the dog’s immune system attacks the central nervous system, particularly the white matter pathways of the spinal cord. DM has been likened to Multiple Sclerosis in humans. DM is progressive and there is no cure.

Due to DM, Bo is losing the use of his back legs. Eventually he will be paralyzed. Sadly, in his case, the disease is progressing so rapidly we can almost see deterioration from one day to the next in his ability to walk. Acupuncture won’t stop the disease or reverse the damage that has already been done but we are trying it to see if it will slow the progression. He will be getting acupuncture treatments at least 1 time per week for the foreseeable future.

Then, if that isn’t enough, poor Bo developed a hematoma in the tip of his left ear last week from shaking his head too hard. The gnats here in Hooterville have been awful and I suspect he broke a blood vessel in the tip of his ear trying to shake gnats, or perhaps some other type of insect, that was in or around his ears.

Bo with a few of his acupuncture needles and his floppy ear with the hematoma.

Apparently, ear hematomas are common but difficult to fix without surgery. Given his diagnosis of Degenerative Myelopathy, I’m hesitant to have him operated on. I don’t care if his ear never stands up again—that’s really the least of his problems--so I was looking for a treatment for the hematoma that was less invasive (and less costly) than surgery. With the estimated $500-$800 hematoma surgery would cost, we could provide him with a whole lot of acupuncture to hopefully slow the DM and prolong his life.

The vet just got a new laser machine she decided to try using on his hematoma. The laser treatment protocol called for using the laser every other day for 4 treatments but unfortunately, it didn’t seem to work in Bo’s case. The hematoma was getting larger instead of better so on the third visit the decision was made to drain the hematoma during the office visit and then use the laser on his ear.

After the hematoma was drained and lasered, Dr. N. folded his ear back over his head and bandaged it up. He was not happy about the bandage at. all. Within 24 hours he had his ear shaken loose from the bandage and the hematoma started filling up again. ::sigh:: We will be trying the draining procedure again (and a different bandaging technique) Friday.

Needless to say, with all the trips to the vet’s office, I didn’t really get any decorating (or blogging) done in August. Hopefully, I’ll be back soon to reveal that great Craigslist deal.

A Pair of Chippendale Style Chairs From Craigslist

2011-08-09T16:32:00.001-04:00

There are still several pieces of furniture I could use to fill in some of the rooms in the house in Hooterville. Depending on what I want, one of my favorite methods of shopping for furniture is Craigslist. Sometimes finding good stuff on Craigslist can feel a lot like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack but if I’m patient enough, I can usually find what I’m looking for. I’ve scored some really good deals on Craigslist over the past few years.

While working on getting the furniture arranged in the formal living room, it occurred to me the only seating I had in here was the white matelasse slip covered sofa and loveseat from our old house.

However, the living room here at the house in Hooterville really isn’t big enough to accommodate any more upholstered furniture so I decided perhaps one or two dining side chairs would provide extra seating without taking up too much physical or visual space. The problem: I didn’t have any dining room furniture yet to borrow chairs from, and had no plans to buy dining room furniture anytime soon, so I turned to Craigslist in hopes of finding a couple orphaned chairs.

About two days after I started perusing Craigslist, I saw a listing for two mahogany, Chippendale style arm chairs with spotless, off-white, tone-on-tone damask seats. I looked this style up online to see what they typically cost retail and they can run $300 or $400 (or more) for just one chair. I thought the $125.00 the seller was asking for the pair was a pretty good deal so they came home with me.

Those ball and claw feet creep me out just a little bit but otherwise, I love the style of these chairs …the shape, the detail… and they are small enough to easily move around to different places in the living room. It will also be no problem to pull them up to the formal dining room table if I need a couple extra chairs for family gatherings.

In the photos, the chairs seem to look pretty good with the dark wood of my curio cabinet and flooring in the foyer, but in person, the chairs’ dark finish seems to disrupt the serenity of the mostly white living room I desired so, at some point, the chairs may get a coat of white paint.

However, before I decide whether to paint them, there’s a few things that need to be finished. I want to get the brass on the crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the room painted white. Window treatments are still on the “To Do” list too. I know what I want but just haven’t had a chance to implement it yet.

I also recently found a new crystal lamp for the formal living room at HomeGoods. Boy, the HomeGoods stores in my area have had a big selection of beautiful and very reasonably priced crystal lamps lately. I had a hard time deciding which one to buy so I brought a couple home to try and this one with silver satin ribbon on the shade won out.

Next time, I’ll show you what’s happening on the other end of the room, which is the formal dining room. I scored BIG TIME on Craigslist again! Even my hubby was giddy with excitement over that deal.

Yes, giddy.

A Special Keepsake Made With Wedding Gown Lace

2011-07-31T22:10:00.001-04:00

Earlier this year, while I was purging stuff in preparation for our move to the house in Hooterville, I mentioned in this post how I had made the decision to part with the wedding gown I wore when I married my hubby in 1972.

Before I let the dress go though, I cut off a small piece of lace and asked Joy of Cupid’s Charm to incorporate it into a special keepsake. Joy turns vintage jewelry, broken china, old silver spoons, vintage photos, papers, lace, crystals, pearls and sterling beads into the most beautiful and romantic pieces of jewelry you have ever seen.

When Joy was done working her creative magic, the charm bracelet below was the result.

In addition to Swarovski crystals, pearls and sterling beads, she combined 3 heart-shaped charms made with broken china pieces and 4 charms containing lace from my wedding dress.

Let me tell you, the bracelet is absolutely exquisite in person! I am sure this gorgeous bracelet is destined to become a family heirloom.

Originally, I had planned to gift my daughter with this special bracelet on her 30th birthday next June. However, I decided to give it to her early so she could wear it to the special premiere event she attended last week in California.

If you pop over to Joy’s on-line shop to browse, don’t blame me if you want one of everything! :)

Linking up to:

Metamorphosis Monday #132 @ Between Naps on the Porch

Wow Us Wednesdays #25 @ Savvy Southern Style

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Tango’s Movie Debut

2011-07-27T00:24:00.001-04:00

Last September, my daughter’s horse, Tango, was used in some scenes for a movie that was being produced by singer/songwriter, Bertie Higgins, and directed by Bertie’s son, Julian.

L to R : Bertie Higgins, Bianca (who plays “Elena” in the movie), Tango, my daughter, Bertie’s son, Julian (the director), and Robert (who plays “Jack Hooks”)

If you are new to my blog and would like to read the details of how Tango got the part in the movie and see some of the photos from her first day of filming, you can click here.

It would seem movie making is a long process. After all these months, the movie is finally finished and I am now able to share more information about it, as well as a couple video clips.

The name of the movie is THROUGH THE EYE and a synopsis of the storyline can be found here.

This short video clip was from Tango’s second day of filming. The movie character, “Elena,” riding Tango, is being chased by a dune buggy driven by the actor playing “Carlos Huerta,” the head of the Colombian drug ring.

If you know anything about horses, you know they can sometimes come completely unglued and spook over the smallest and stupidest little thing so there was some uncertainty about how Tango was going to react when she was left standing alone after the actress dismounted and that very loud and fast-moving dune buggy came roaring up behind her. Would she freak out and take off running? As you can see in the video, she just did a little side hop out of the way and meandered out of camera range. Way to go, Tango!

The premiere screening of THROUGH THE EYE was held in Pasadena, California Tuesday night, July 26, 2011.

My daughter was invited to the premiere screening and imagine our excitement when we saw Tango’s picture on the premiere invitation!

Tango is also seen briefly in the movie trailer below.

There was no way my daughter was going to miss this momentous, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend this premiere event so she flew out to California Monday afternoon. I can’t wait to get her assessment of the movie and hear how Tango looked on the big screen. In relation to the length of the movie, I’m sure Tango’s scenes will most likely be very, very, VERY short but we are as excited as if Tango had the starring role!

Even though I’m not an avid movie-goer and typically I avoid action movies because they tend to be violent, this is one movie I’m obviously anxious to see. I don’t have any information yet on how/when/where THROUGH THE EYE will be available for the general public to see but I’ll keep you posted, just in case you’d like to see it too . Then you can say, “Hey, I *know* that horse from Blogland!” ;)

Linking up to:

Wow Us Wednesdays #24 @ Savvy Southern Style

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

My Camera

2011-07-25T16:50:00.001-04:00

This afternoon, my little pocket-sized blogging camera is on a plane headed for California.

No, it’s not going to a repair shop; it’s actually working well.

I’m not really at liberty to reveal WHY my camera is going to California just yet but I can tell you the reason is quite exciting (at least to us). I can also tease you a little bit and say it has something to do with this post.

I’ll be able to share the details later this week, probably Wednesday. :) And hopefully, sometime after that, I will have some fun photos to share of the California trip.

Oh, and in case you were wondering…I am NOT on that plane with my camera!

Oh No… Here We Go Again!

2011-07-20T20:59:00.001-04:00

If you were reading my blog about a year ago, you probably remember the hhGregg/Samsung front load washer ordeal and the months and months of consumer’s hell I went through to return the defective washer.

After hhGregg finally took the washer (and dryer) back in August 2010, I replaced the Samsung set with a Whirlpool Duet front-loading steam washer and dryer.

I’ve been very pleased with the new machines’ performance…

…until today.

I walked into my laundry room this afternoon to find water pouring out from underneath the washer.

What the heck?!

It was all I could do not to sit down and cry.

And, wouldn’t you know, the 12-month interest free promotion on the Lowe’s credit card is almost up. In order to avoid a year’s worth of interest, the washer and dryer balance had to be paid off by July 26th. As my luck would have it, I just mailed the payoff check two days ago.

TWO DAYS AGO!

Of course the washer is still under warranty, but if it turns out I have another washer with a chronic defect, I won’t have any consumer leverage for return and/or replacement this time since the washer and dryer balance has been paid off.

The repairman is coming tomorrow afternoon. I’m going to think positive and hope the leak was just caused by a small problem that requires an easy, one-time fix.

Sewing a Faux Roman Shade

2011-07-07T17:07:00.001-04:00

This week, I attempted to get reacquainted with this old gal.

It’s been a long time since we spent any time together.

A very, very long time.

I’ve mentioned before that my mother was a very talented seamstress and loved to sew but I didn’t get passed the sewing gene. I am more than capable of sewing if it is a necessity, but it’s not something I enjoy so I have always made it my mission to avoid it whenever possible. In past years, any time I could get my mom to sew for me, I would. However, since she passed away six years ago, if I need/want any sewing done now, I’m on my own.

A couple months ago, I saw a really simple tutorial for a faux Roman shade. It was so ingenious, I wanted to try it for my kitchen window so I bookmarked it. I won’t repeat the tutorial here. Just click the above link and scroll down to the middle of that post for the instructions.

Even with the 50% off sale Joann's Fabrics was having on the special order home decorating fabrics, the fabric I chose (P. Kaufmann Sea Breeze Patriot) was $19.99/yd. I wasn’t even sure I was going to like this faux Roman shade once I got it done so I only ordered a yard of material but that meant I wouldn’t have enough length to double the fabric over the top rod per the tutorial instructions. I planned to compensate for this by sewing a pocket to slip the top tension rod through.

Yes, I was actually going to SEW!

I dug out my (almost 40 year old) sewing machine. After dusting her off, I reviewed the owner’s manual to refresh my memory on how to fill the bobbin. Like riding a bike, it came right back to me.

I threaded her up, slipped my fabric under the presser foot, hit the foot pedal and……

NOTHING.

She hummed a little but the needle wouldn’t move and upon closer inspection, all the parts seemed to be a bit rusted and bound up.

I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t sew. (Insert sarcastic tone.) The last time I can really remember using this sewing machine, my now 29-year-old daughter was in the fourth grade.

Yeah, I guess if you store a sewing machine in the backyard shed where it gets exposed to the intense heat and humidity of Florida’s summers for 20+ years, things are bound to be a bit rusty and bound up. The light bulb still worked after all these years though!

Plan B: Make this a no-sew project (like the tutorial) by using hem tape.

Unfortunately, that was a fail for me too as my fabric was a bit too heavy and nubby for the hem tape to hold well.

Plan C: Buy a new sewing machine. Ugh.

I actually have a couple other simple sewing projects I want to do in the coming weeks so I got on the Internet to check out some inexpensive, basic machines. I didn’t want or need a bunch of bells and whistles, just something to do some straight stitching.

Most of the machines I looked at under $100 didn’t get very good reviews. This machine did more than I would ever need but it had a very high number of positive ratings.

I decided to jump in the car and go to the nearest Walmart to see if they (hopefully) had it in the store. I didn’t want to order anything online. I was ready to do this Roman shade project now!

It must have REALLY been my lucky day. Not only did Walmart have it, but it was on sale for $109.00! A savings of almost FORTY-ONE DOLLARS!

Finally, I was off and running.

My kitchen window is small, only 36 inches by 36 inches, and I found that for my liking, too much of the light and view were obstructed by fabric when I inserted the tension rods into the window frame. (I tested this before I did any cutting or sewing.)

By using the cabinets on either side of the window to support the tension rods, I was able to raise the rod higher to give the illusion of a larger window and then only the top 1/3 of the window was covered. Although, after looking at these photos, I think the top rod could be raised even a bit more.

My fabric was wider than the width between the cabinets so I added 2 inches to that measurement so I could sew a one inch hem down each vertical side of the fabric. For the length, I used the whole yard of fabric and put a one inch hem in the bottom. As mentioned above, I sewed a pocket across the top for the top tension rod to slip through.

I was quite happy the way this turned out. It was easy and would have been quick…had I not had to stop to research sewing machines, run out to buy one, set it up and learn how to use it.

If I decide to ever make another faux Roman shade using this tension rod technique, I would probably do it this way again. The single length of fabric and the rod pocket worked fine, thus cutting the expense of fabric in half.

New Bookcases For the Living Room

2011-06-29T23:44:00.001-04:00

When I started the conversion to cottage style decor in 2008, I was on a painting frenzy to change all my dark furniture to white. One of the pieces I painted was an old 3 piece wall unit we had purchased many, MANY years before, back in the late 70’s!

Although the wall unit was way out-dated, it did afford me lots of storage and display space but after moving to the house in Hooterville, it didn’t take me long to realize that wall unit just wasn’t going to work well in this new house. In addition, the 3 pieces really needed a fresh coat of paint. It was a HUGE job to paint this beast the first time around so I was not up for the challenge of painting it again now, especially when I wasn’t happy with it in this house and I have so many other projects on my “To Do” list.

I decided it was (past) time to let the wall unit go so recently my hubby and I hauled all three pieces up to the main road and left them there, hoping a passing motorist or neighbor would come along and adopt them. Before we had even gotten out of sight, someone was stopping to check them out!

With no wall unit anymore, I needed someplace to display my late grandmother’s milk glass pieces, as well as some of the trinkets and treasures I kept when I purged stuff before our move to the house in Hooterville so I started looking for something that would work in the new living room.

I found this and based on all the positive reviews, I decided to order two of the 36 inch size in white. My hubby was able to get them assembled this past weekend.

Well….I suppose for the price, they aren’t bad but there were a few things I didn’t like about them.

The back piece was folded in half for shipping, which is typical for this kind of furniture, but when it was opened up and attached to the bookcase, there was a large and very noticeable vertical gap.

I ended up filling the gap with white caulk but it still shows more than I would like. Eventually, I may end up covering the backs with bead board wallpaper.

There were also some gaps where pieces were joined.

I filled them with white caulk too and it looks better. More seamless.

Once I got the bookcases caulked and all my nick-nacks arranged, I was pleased with the way they look flanking my sofa.

That picture (temporarily) propped on the back of the sofa was in the living room in my previous home and the green mat looked really nice on my light sage green walls there. Obviously though, it’s not working with the pale gray I painted the walls here. I plan to keep the big, chunky white frame (it cost me an arm and a leg!) but I am debating whether to keep the print and have just the green mat replaced, or have both the mat and print replaced. I haven’t decided yet.

And I’m still working on the area directly across from the sofa. There’s lots left to do on that side of the room!

I Love Flip-Flops

2011-06-27T23:16:00.001-04:00

Ever since I retired from the business world in 2007, I have pretty much lived in flip-flops. Here in Florida, we can almost wear them year-round.

I SERIOUSLY love flip-flops!

Why do I love flip-flops so much? Well, that's an easy question to answer!

They are easy to slip on and off.
They are cool and comfortable.
One of my guilty pleasures is regular pedicures and flip- flops allow me to show off whatever pretty color polish I have on my toes.
The styles and colors are endless.
They’re cheap. Most of the time I pay far less than $15.00 a pair so a shoe-a-holic, like me, can have a pair of cute flip-flops in every color to match every outfit, without breaking the bank.

Did I mention, I think they are really comfortable???

Now, if you are like me and love flip-flops, you probably have at least a few (and possibly way too many) pairs.

And maybe if you have a *few* pairs of flip-flops, the bottom of your closet just might look like mine.

(YIKES! It’s a wonder I can even find a matching pair in that mess! Believe it or not, I’m such a neat freak in most all other areas of my life.)

The other day, I was blog hopping and on the blog, EPBOT, I ran across the most ingenious idea for keeping flip-flops neatly organized.

Isn’t that fabulous?! This is definitely one of those ideas that makes you say, “Why didn’t I think of THAT?”

I am SO going to put this on my list of projects!

If the bottom of your closet is covered with a messy mound of flip-flops like mine, go check out her easy tutorial on how to make these flip-flop hangers. (She also shows how the hangers work for ballet flats too, if those are more your thing).

I’m Calling This Bathroom DONE ! (For Now)

2011-06-22T11:52:00.001-04:00

The (drywall) dust was flying again this past weekend at the house in Hooterville.

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you might remember one of the first rooms I fixed up in this house was a bathroom right off the breakfast room. This was the way it looked the day we looked at the house.

Now, if money were no object, I would have gutted it and started from scratch but there were other rooms that offended me more so I just decided to replace the toilet and do a cosmetic makeover with paint, fabrics and a few accessories.

But this is what it looked like this weekend!

When we gutted this bathroom, we took the old light fixture from there to replace the “Hollywood” light that was in here. The existing electrical box for the light over the sink was too low and the *new* light fixture had to be hung upside down in order to be able to open the doors of the medicine chest/mirror. It’s been precariously hanging upside down for six months.

This weekend my hubby moved the electrical box up and dry-walled over the old hole.

If you’ve ever had any drywall work done in your home, you know it’s a messy proposition. Every surface ends up looking like this.

Fortunately, everything is now cleaned up and the light is hanging the right way. (Scratch one more project off the “To Do” list!)

And since I no longer have a slew of workmen using this bathroom and leaving the toilet seat up, I removed this *lovely* piece of “artwork” which was hanging over the toilet…

…and replaced it with something a little prettier.

I do believe this bathroom is *DONE*. Well, at least done until I feel like we can afford the time and money to replace the tub, shower tile, vanity, medicine chest/mirror and install new flooring.

16 Reasons Why I’ve Been a Bad Blogger

2011-06-14T10:06:00.001-04:00

I’ll readily admit I have really been a bad blogger lately and I do apologize to those of you who come here looking for updates on the house in Hooterville.

Here’s a small sampling of why I haven’t been blogging much.

Reason #1:

I tweaked and then repainted a rack I purchased at HomeGoods, making it into a combination towel rack and small shelf for the new bathroom. (Towel rack functions beautifully, and is unique and unexpected but not sure I’m happy with the accessories yet.)

Reason #2:

Finally, 7 months after the kitchen re-do, I spent 2 days emptying drawers in the new kitchen and lining them with pretty shelf paper. In all fairness though, it did take me that long to locate this Contact paper I had seen many months before the kitchen was even started. I was hesitant to buy it then, not knowing how much I was going to need and then afterwards, nobody seemed to have it anymore. I recently found it at Target. (One of these days I’ll get around to taking updated kitchen pictures with the backsplash, lighting and the few accessories I’ve found so far.)

Reason #3:

I’ve been trying to do a little accessorizing here and there.

Reason #4:

Some of my walls are no longer bare. We’ve been able to get some pictures hung so it actually looks like somebody lives here!

Reason #5:

I repainted a picture mat (and the frame) on a piece of artwork I had used in the other house so it would better fit in with the paint colors in this house.

Reason #6:

Seven months ago, when we tried to get the new refrigerator in the house, it was just a wee bit too wide to fit through the door so Hubby had to pop off the molding around the door jamb. I just recently got around to re-caulking and repainting the trim around that door. The door also got another fresh coat of paint because it’s a heavily used entrance/exit.

Reasons #7, 8 & 9:

I’ve worked on the front porch…

the ceiling has been painted a light blue, I painted the shutters black, and got 2 lanterns hung. (Need to make a decision on furniture and cushions SOON…before summer is over!)

Reasons #10 & 11:

I painted a cute (formally white) petite chandelier black and hung it over the sink in the laundry room.

Reason #12:

I was Hubby’s assistant while he did some electrical work to accommodate the chandelier. Sorry, no photo available. ;)

Reasons 13 & 14:

It only took about 8 months after installing the bottom cabinets, but we FINALLY got the upper cabinets assembled and hung on the sink wall in the laundry room, and I applied wall words,

“Self Serve Laundry Open 24 Hours.”

(Still much work/accessorizing to do in here.)

Reason #15:

Got the valance (that I’ve had for MONTHS) hung over laundry room window.

Reason #16:

I decided I definitely needed to repaint the formal living and dining rooms. I felt like the original bluish- gray color (Valspar “Winter in Paris” ) was just a little too dreary (and too blue) for my liking in these north facing rooms.

Now that the repainting of the formal living room is done, maybe I can finally get my furniture arranged so it doesn’t look like this anymore…

And maybe I can get the rest of the boxes unpacked so my formal dining room doesn’t look like this…

Good grief! Three months after moving and there is still no rest for the weary.

Tea For Two at Camellia Rose Tea Cottage

2011-06-07T00:53:00.001-04:00

Recently, when my friend, Debbie, came from New Jersey to visit me for a week, we spent one afternoon having tea at a lovely tea cottage not too far from the house in Hooterville. Although I had heard about the Camellia Rose Tea Cottage and seen it featured by several bloggers, this was my first time there. It did not disappoint!

Our table was by one of the windows and the window sill was filled to the brim with crystal candlesticks, silver pieces, tea pots and tea cups. So pretty!

Debbie and I both have a mutual love of pink roses so I guess it was quite fitting there was a bud vase of pink roses on our table.

The table setting was lovely…old silver, pretty rose patterned china, pressed glass water goblets, and a beautiful crocheted piece was layered over the tablecloth. An old photograph placed under the glass added vintage charm.

The selection of fresh brewed loose leaf teas at Camellia Rose is so extensive, Debbie and I had a difficult time deciding which teas we wanted to try. In the end, we sampled three different pots of tea and loved them all!

The broccoli cheddar soup, served in a tea cup, was to die for; the BEST I have EVER had!

We were served a three tier curate with tea sandwiches (on the middle tier), fresh baked blueberry scones and southern style Devon cream (on the bottom tier) and a sampling of three types of yummy little desserts (on the top tier).

Every corner of the Camellia Rose Tea Cottage is just oozing with charm.

Notice the high ceilings and gorgeous, thick crown moldings!

This feminine vintage dress was displayed in one of the windows.

Whimsical fairies hung in another window.

The gift shop/boutique offers an assortment of tea-related items for sale.

They also sell some beautiful candles, hand-made soaps and toiletries.

This crystal and silver powder duster caught my eye. It was so elegant!

Oh, hello! (Thought I’d try my hand at a self-portrait in the gift shop mirror.) Camellia Rose is located in the historic Bank of Plant City building and in this photo you can see the original tile floors that date back to 1919.

Even the Powder Room at Camellia Rose is pretty!

Afternoon tea at Camellia Rose Tea Cottage was so special. There is nothing like a good cup of tea shared between good friends!

The Camellia Rose Tea Cottage is located in historic downtown Plant City, Florida which is approximately 30 minutes east of Tampa.

Sweet Tomatoes' Broccoli Salad

2011-05-24T16:03:00.001-04:00

According to my blog stats, one of the most frequent searches that lead people to my blog is the Sweet Tomatoes’ broccoli salad recipe I posted right before Memorial Day two years ago so I thought I would post the recipe again and participate in the Home May’d Recipe party going on over at Southern Hospitality.

In the past year, I have made this recipe many times. It’s quick, easy and it always gets rave reviews.

Here’s my original post from May 2009…

I have a delicious recipe to share with you this week. If you are going to, or hosting, a Memorial Day get-together this weekend, it would make a wonderful side dish to add to the menu!

First, a little history about this recipe …

Here in Florida, we have a restaurant chain called Sweet Tomatoes. These restaurants are also in approximately 14 other states so some of you may have eaten at one. (You can go here and type in your zip code to see if there is one close to you. )

For those of you who have never been to a Sweet Tomatoes restaurant, it is an all-you-can-eat salad buffet featuring fresh vegetables, salads, made-from-scratch soups, muffins and breads, and hot pastas.

One of my favorite salads is their broccoli salad, which I am told is called “Joan’s Broccoli Madness,” so recently I went searching the web for a copycat recipe.

The list of ingredients is fairly simple: fresh uncooked broccoli, red onion, bacon, cashews, raisins, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar and sugar.

Because it was more economical than buying a box of raisins and a can of cashews, I elected to use a pre-mixed Trail Mix instead. It contained the cashews and raisins the recipe called for but there was also a variety other nuts and seeds in it, which I liked. When I make this salad in the future, I will definitely use the Trail Mix again but I also want to add some golden raisins.

Chopped broccoli, red onions, crispy crumbled bacon and the trail mix…

Mix in the dressing, chill and enjoy.

Mmmmmm…..

At first, I thought this recipe might be rather labor intensive with all the chopping. However, I had everything all chopped up in minutes…even before my bacon was done cooking in the microwave. It truly took minimal effort to make this broccoli salad and it was just as yummy as what Sweet Tomatoes serves. It has definitely earned a spot in my file of favorite recipes!

I’ll be making it this weekend. Be sure to let me know if you try it!

JOAN'S BROCCOLI MADNESS SALAD

Serves 6 to 8

FOR THE SALAD:

1 bunch fresh, raw broccoli, washed and cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup (4 to 5 strips) cooked bacon, crumbled

1/2 cup dry roasted cashews **

1/3 cup raisins **

1/4 cup fresh red onion, finely chopped

FOR THE DRESSING:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Place the salad ingredients into a large bowl and gently toss till mixed.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth.

Add dressing to salad, mix well, and chill.

**Note: in place of cashews and raisins, I substituted about 1/2 package of “Nuts, Seeds & Raisins” Trail Mix by Planters.

Resuscitation of an Ancient Ironing Board

2011-05-13T13:10:00.001-04:00

Even though I’ve still got painting, furniture arranging and accessorizing to do, pictures to hang, a partially done front porch, another bathroom that needs remodeling, and more than a couple boxes to unpack from the move to the house in Hooterville, I recently decided to take a break from all those bigger projects do a little makeover on my ironing board.

I got married eons ago…waaaaay back in 1972 when avocado green, harvest gold and burnt orange were the popular colors. One of the wedding presents I received was an ironing board with orange legs.

Over the years, I’ve changed the cover several times but it was in dire need of being replaced again. (Tell me, how does the cover manage to get scorched but not the fabric that’s being ironed???) In fact, with scratched legs, and 2 missing rubber caps on the feet, the whole ironing board was actually looking more than a bit rough and ragged.

For quite a while, I’ve been thinking about buying a whole new ironing board…one with pretty white legs…but after all these years, the frame of this one is, believe it or not, still structurally sturdy and stable so my ~~penny-pinching~~ thrifty self just hadn’t parted with the money yet.

While browsing in TJMaxx recently, an ironing board cover jumped right into my shopping cart. It’s predominately shades of aqua, teal and hot pink.

As soon as I put the new cover on the old frame, it became immediately apparent how badly those orange legs clashed with the cover. Now in reality, nobody sees my ironing board but me and I guess it’s not the end of the world if the colors of your ironing board frame and cover don’t compliment each other but I wasn’t willing to look at those ugly orange legs another day. Thirty-eight + years was more than enough for me! ;)

I turned to the ultimate, CHEAP fix-all…spray paint…in a lovely shade of pink called “Watermelon.”

This was a quick, easy, fun, and inexpensive little project. For the nominal cost of the cover, 4 new rubber feet and some spray paint, I’ve now got an ironing board that is both pretty AND basically good as new. It should last me another 38 years… give or take a few.

I’m probably going to be away from the computer for the rest of the month. Next week the “pink and girly” guest room is having its first guest…a very special guest! She arrives Tuesday and will be visiting me for a week. We’re going to have so much fun! After that, my hubby is taking a couple weeks off from work so we can accomplish some of the projects that still need to be done around the house and barns.

See you soon!

Linked to:

Sometimes It Pays To Be Indecisive

2011-05-06T12:10:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week, while I was checking out the HomeGoods store closest to the house in Hooterville, I spotted a cute wooden bench. I’m still working on decorating our bedroom and I’ve actually been considering putting a small scaled bench on the short wall next to one side of the bed.

The price tag was $149.99…not a bad price by any means, but still a little more than I wanted to pay, particularly since the dark wood finish was going to require painting to fit in with the light and airy beachy look I’m going for in the bedroom. The finish on the bench also had some cosmetic “boo-boos,” which didn’t concern me in the least because I was planning to paint it anyway, but inasmuch as it wasn’t perfect, I considered asking if they could do any better on the price. At best, I just assumed they would probably only knock 5 or 10% off the price so I didn’t even bother to ask. I just decided to pass on it.

Well, as I’ve so often done when there is something I am indecisive about, once I was home I continued to think about the bench and how perfect it would be for where I want to use it, so yesterday I decided to make a trip back to HomeGoods. I had made up my mind I definitely wanted it and was prepared to pay full price for it… if it was still there.

I made a beeline straight for the spot where it had been sitting a couple days before and my heart sank when it wasn’t there. I scanned the furniture area and spotted it several aisles over. As I got closer, I realized it now had a big red CLEARANCE tag on it…

$99.99

SOLD…to me!

Sometimes I get so aggravated with myself when I can’t make a quick decision but hey, I’m a Virgo…through and through to my very core. Before a Virgo plunges into anything and makes a decision, they need to take their time to analyze, analyze and REanalyze all the facts, know all the details, consider all the pros and cons. As a rule, we Virgos are NOT impulsive people. Fortunately for me, this is one time this frustrating Virgo trait really paid off, saving me $50.00!

The bench really is the “purfect” size for where I wanted to use it and it will be the “purfect” place to toss the decorative bed pillows at night. (I don’t like throwing them on the floor.) Interestingly, Bitty, our calico kitty, didn’t have any problems deciding she liked it. She has given it her seal of approval!

Now that I’ve made the decision to buy the bench, I just need to make a decision on what color I want to paint it.

Bitty suggested lime green…like her eyes.

A Creative Slump… And Birds Do the Craziest Things!

2011-04-28T16:14:00.001-04:00

I think I’m definitely going through a creative slump and it is spilling over into my blogging, as evidenced by my lack of posts lately. All of the endless remodeling/decorating decisions and DIY projects in the past year and a half on the house in Hooterville, not to mention the packing, moving and unpacking, have left me feeling like I’ve hit the wall. Hard.

I have been working on a few little things but nothing that seems creative, pretty or significantly worthy enough to share. Posting about getting 2 new cabinets and a ceiling fan hung in the still unfinished laundry room or the new dust ruffle I bought for the bed seems so lame…and boring. I can’t even seem to muster up enough creativity to coax my camera into taking any pretty pictures.

Sooooo…what’s a blogger to do? I thought I’d share an interesting little discovery I made this week.

Warning: no pretty pictures or decorating inspiration below. :(

When we bought the house in Hooterville, the garage did not have a door. Actually, it still doesn’t. We have bought one but with all the other projects and renovations going on, my hubby hasn’t had a chance to install it yet. In the city, this would pose a security risk but out here in the country…apparently not so much, so the garage is open 24/7.

In the back left corner of the garage is an entrance to the house (with the door that I haven’t had a chance to paint yet). Just a few feet from the door is an old refrigerator we use mostly for chilling extra drinks.

Whenever bottled water is on sale for dirt cheap, we usually stock up. We go through a lot of water during the hot summer months (plus it’s always good to have extra bottled water on hand through hurricane season), so next to the refrigerator sits multiple cases of bottled water (and a case of Dr. Pepper).

Stay with me here. I’m actually going someplace with this. ;)

On top of the stacked cases of bottled water is an open case.

Much to my surprise, I discovered a bird’s nest in the open case a few days ago. I thought this was such an odd place for a bird to build a nest. But maybe not. At least it’s out of the elements.

There are no eggs in it yet but it is definitely an active nest because if there is too much activity around the back door or refrigerator, Mrs. Bird (a small sparrow-like bird) flies out and startles the bezeebers out of me. I’ve been trying to get a picture of her but every time I think to go out with my camera, she’s not in there.

Needless to say, in an effort not to disturb her too much, I guess we won’t be drinking much bottled water during the next month or two while we wait to see if she raises a family in there.

Have you ever found a nest in an odd place?

My Mission: A Pretty Southern Front Porch

2011-04-13T15:22:00.001-04:00

Other than painting the exterior doors, sprucing up the outside of the house in Hooterville has taken a backseat to other, more pressing projects.

Across the front of the house is a nice size covered porch.

Although I still have a million and one projects left to do inside the house and there are still more moving boxes that need to be unpacked, I’ve got a bee in my bonnet to start fixing up the front of the house, especially the porch area.

This is my inspiration photo. Love this!

original photo source unknown

I see several definite similarities between my porch and the one in my inspiration photo....long and narrow, brick house, shutters, and columns… so I think it would be relatively easily achieve the same type of look.

The heck with all the unfinished inside projects. I’m a woman on a mission! I’ve decided that starting this weekend, my current projects include:

a whole lot of pressure washing
painting the porch ceiling a pretty shade of light blue (Did you know blue porch ceilings are an old Southern tradition? There are numerous theories as to why... fooling spiders and wasps into thinking the ceiling is the sky, to blue being a color of good luck, to the color extending daylight, to scaring away evil spirits.)
painting the shutters black
a fresh coat of white paint on the columns
stain or paint the concrete floor
find pretty wicker furniture and cushions
a new outdoor ceiling fan
plants and flowers

Hopefully, we will be enjoying our hot summer evenings with a cool drink on a pretty, Southern-inspired front porch. What is your favorite way to spend a summer evening?

Be My Guest

2011-03-31T00:22:00.001-04:00

Aside from some tweaking of accessories, the “pink and girly” guest room at the house in Hooterville is finished. Actually, I’m not sure if a room is ever *finished* but at least it is now ready for its reveal and to receive visitors.

My inspiration for this room started with the many pink and rose-printed items I had in my other home and wanted to re-use in some way here in this house. The photo below, which I saw some time ago on this blog, also inspired me. (I do not know the original photo source.) I loved the combination of pretty pink walls, black iron headboard and simple white bed linens.

My “pink and girly” guest room is rather small… just barely big enough to hold a queen size bed and still have a couple feet to walk around 3 sides of the bed.

Just inside the doorway on the right is a short wall created by the closet. It seemed the perfect place to hang two cottage window prints that I’ve had for many years. If I recall correctly, I got these at Kirkland’s and have often wished I had bought the other two prints that coordinated with these two.

The black iron headboard was one of the few purchases I made for this room. It was a Craigslist score for just $50.00.

I already had the bed skirt and white matelasse coverlet but I purchased the pink ShabbyChic brand quilt (eBay) and the beautiful white laced-edged pillow cases (Marshall’s) specifically for this room about 6 months ago.

The throw pillows on the bed were bought on eBay approximately 4 years ago.

“My Best Thrifting Find. Ever!” found a place on the bedside table. Since the bed is on risers, it needed a little boost from a couple thrift store books.

Even with its chipped and missing roses, I still consider it to be one of my favorite and best thrifting finds of all time.

The “Sunnybrook” rug was used in the living room at my other house. For anyone interested, this rug is still available here. Although I can’t vouch for the merchant selling it because I did not buy my rug through this site, I can say the rug is gorgeous in person!

The wingback chair, slip-covered by Calico Corners in a floral fabric, was also from my living room at the other house.

The larger chenille pillow in the chair was purchased from eBay several years ago (I used to do a lot of shopping via eBay!) and I blogged about the smaller pillow here.

I also blogged about the inspiration for this hydrangea and rose arrangement in the basket here. The hand-painted tray was an eBay purchase several years ago too, and the water carafe and glass were purchased more recently from HomeGoods.

The glass fits down into the neck of the carafe to create a cover. Cute, huh? Just the perfect thing to hold a little water in case a guest needs a sip during the night.

The old Craigslist dresser with the lovely details I blogged about here a year ago, has been patiently waiting for this room to come to life.

One of my favorite rose prints hangs over the dresser.

I still have many boxes to unpack and put away so whenever I find the box my craft supplies are packed in, I plan to apply a little gold Rub ‘n Buff to the vintage pair of white painted Syroco sconces that flank the rose print. The gold should highlight some of the sconces’ details and coordinate better with the picture’s gold frame.

Some of my favorite tea cups hang on the wall over the chair. For the life of me, I cannot remember where I got the hanger. I actually had two but didn’t use the second one so I decided to sell it on eBay several years ago. (Now I could use it!)

The crystal chandelier came with the house but was actually hanging in the formal dining room. Since I am planning to hang my mom’s crystal chandelier in the formal dining room, I decided to put this one to use in the guest room. I sprayed the brass finish Heirloom White and my hubby installed a dimmer switch for it. I think it makes the whole room seem so much more romantic and special.

You may have noticed there is no TV. Since there is not really a good place to put one in this small room, I am considering making the even smaller bedroom directly across the hall into a “sitting room” where guests can sit and watch TV, read a book or magazine, or just enjoy a quiet cup of coffee in the morning.

So there you have it…the “pink and girly” guest room at the house in Hooterville. My hope is that my guests feel it’s cheerful, cozy and comfortable.

If you are ever passing through Hooterville, won’t you be my guest?

Linking up to:

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

115th Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Wow Us Wednesdays #9 @ Southern Savvy Style

Struggling

2011-03-23T15:48:00.001-04:00

It’s been almost 3 weeks since I moved to the house in Hooterville and for the past few days, I have been struggling with bouts of homesickness. However, that’s not really what this post’s title is referring to.

One of the things I am finding as I unpack and try to decorate the house in Hooterville is how quick and easy some rooms are coming together and how difficult others are.

I realize it is going to take time for me to get a feel for how we live in this house, what works and what doesn’t, but one of the rooms I am really struggling with is the master bedroom.

Long story short… unfortunately, the only wall the bed will fit on is a window wall. I hate the fact that by the time the headboard is added, the whole lower half of the window is covered so, in an effort to minimize having the sunlight and view blocked by a solid headboard, I bought a vintage-looking metal headboard. I wanted a white one but the price was really right on this particular headboard and it only came in antique brass or pewter (gray).

I picked the pewter but I had every intention of painting it white. Well, that was until I actually saw it in the room. Now, I’m not so sure.

The headboard is the same exact width as the window so if I paint it white, it is going to blend in with the shutters. I can’t decide if that is a good thing…or a bad thing.

I know it’s looking ~~a little~~ very boring right now but hopefully, that will all change as the room progresses. Ultimately, when all is said and done, I would like this room to have a coastal cottage feel. Light, airy and bright. I plan to use some shells and beachy artwork. I’m also thinking about introducing a few touches of lime green to add a bit of pizzazz and interest to all the aqua and white.

Based on what I think I want this room to be when it’s done, does anyone have opinions about painting (or not painting) the headboard, or any other decorating suggestions?

Meanwhile, I’ve also been working on the “pink and girly” guest room. That room has been so much fun and extremely easy for me to pull together. No struggles there so it’s almost done!

The reveal will be coming soon!

And So My Life in Hooterville Begins…

2011-03-14T23:42:00.001-04:00

I predicted I would probably get emotional when the moving van pulled away from My Cottage of Bliss with all my furniture inside. However, I was not prepared to start crying the minute the moving van pulled up in front of the house…before the movers had even turned the engine off or got out of the truck! Aside from that, the move to the house in Hooterville was fairly uneventful.

Through the tears, I couldn’t help chuckle about the size of the truck they brought. One might get the impression My Cottage of Bliss was a McMansion instead of a little 1300 sq ft. house.

Obviously, since we had already moved the majority of our smaller items, the larger furniture pieces they moved for us didn’t even begin to fill that truck up!

The 3-man moving crew was great though. They were fast, efficient and very careful with our furniture. Not a single thing was dinged or broken and, as a bonus, the final bill ended up being less than the estimate we were quoted. Quite refreshing considering all the horror stories you hear about moving companies holding peoples’ belongings hostage until they pay up more money.

My hubby must have felt bad…really bad…that I cried over leaving My Cottage of Bliss because he came home from work that afternoon with this beautiful flower arrangement…the first flowers I have received from him in years.

Since moving day, I have been putting in some long days attempting to get boxes unpacked and trying to decide on furniture placement. There is still so much to do. I can see it is going to be a slow process but soon I hope to have some pictures of how things are starting to come together.

We’ve also made several trips back to My Cottage of Bliss to start getting it cleaned up and ready for the nice couple who will be renting it from us. They are both school teachers who are retiring from the Pennsylvania school system at the end of this school year. Their daughter, son-in-law and 2 young granddaughters live just one street over, and they also have other relatives in the immediate neighborhood that we have known for years. We were happy to find someone who we know will take good care of our house and they were thrilled to find a house so close to their family members.

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

Meanwhile, also happening in Hooterville…

Remember the ugly homemade light that hung from the ceiling in the old kitchen?

It finally met its demise in the burn pile today (oh happy day!), along with some of the old cabinets, some brush and other miscellaneous junk.

It was quite an inferno hubby had going. The heat radiating off of it was surprisingly intense. I suppose being able to burn your junk, trash and brush on your property could be considered one of the advantages of living out in the country. ;)

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

The father of one of my daughter’s riding students volunteered to make some jumps for the jump course in our riding arena. When he pulled up yesterday with the first set in the back of his truck, it caused quite a stir.

Shamu! Times two!

Awesome! Can’t wait to see what other designs he comes up with for the other jumps.

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

And finally, it’s Strawberry season again in Hooterville. All the strawberry fields in the area are in full bloom, including the one right next to our property .

The berries are plentiful and cheap, but unfortunately the ones we’ve had this season have been somewhat disappointing, taste-wise. Still pretty to look at though.

Good-Bye My Cottage of Bliss

2011-03-03T18:53:00.001-05:00

Little by little over the past 4 to 6 months, we have moved the majority of our smaller belongings over to the house in Hooterville.

Tomorrow morning, March 4th, the movers are scheduled to come and move the large pieces of furniture for us.

It’s been a long, sometimes stressful, and very emotional journey to get there but, after Friday I will officially be a full-time resident of Hooterville.

The best way I can describe my feelings about this move to Hooterville is “bittersweet.”

During the 35 years we’ve lived here, many memories have been made in this house—the cozy little home that is the namesake of my blog. This was the first home my hubby and I bought. A couple times through the years we considered moving but we never did because we liked the neighborhood so well. I think I may have mentioned before that I also spent my childhood years in this same neighborhood, living and playing just a mere 4 streets away, and attending schools in the immediate area. Needless to say, my roots here run very deep and it is extremely difficult for me to leave this house and neighborhood without feeling some pangs of sadness.

Good-bye My Cottage of Bliss.

You weren’t big or fancy but you were “home” in every sense of the word. I’m sure going to miss you.

P.S. Effective Friday, I’ll be off-line for an undetermined length of time until my blogging computer is moved and reconnected at the house in Hooterville. See ya’ll soon!

Huge Moving Sale!

2011-02-28T23:13:00.001-05:00

After spending the past 4 months going through every inch of the “My Cottage of Bliss” house, garage and backyard storage sheds weeding stuff out…

and weeks of cleaning, pricing and organizing items…

this past Friday and Saturday we held our

And what a GREAT yard sale it was too!

It was extremely successful and profitable. Probably 85% of the items I was trying to get rid of sold and we made a little over $1300.00.

Yes, $1300.00! And it’s not like that included a lot of big ticket items either. There was one item that sold for $125.00 and there were a few $10, $20 or $30 items but the rest of that total was reached by selling items that were marked $4.00 or less!

I knew I had purged a lot of stuff but…really?!

Having a yard sale is an eye-opening experience on many different levels, but particularly when it comes to human behavior. Of course, we had several of **those** people—the ones who make you want to pull your hair out when they insist you sell them a pile of stuff for $1.00 and then get indigent when you say no. But we had a lot of really nice, friendly, polite people too. I can’t even count how many people said it was one of the nicest, cleanest, most organized and/or most reasonably priced yard sales they had ever been to. That almost made all the hours of preparation I put into it worth it right there.

I had put ads on Craigslist and in the local newspaper, listing the start time of the yard sale as 9:00 a.m. Friday. Knowing full well people would be showing up earlier than 9:00, we were outside setting up by 5:45 a.m. I don’t think I’ve been up that early since I quit working. It was still dark! As soon as daylight started to break, passing cars began slowing down to look and before 8:00 a.m., there was already a crowd of people in line to pay for stuff they wanted to buy. It was crazy!

We used 8 large tables and still didn’t have enough room so the overflow was displayed under the tables and around the yard. It was kind of interesting to see what was hot and what was not.

All of my daughter’s old toys--Teddy Ruxpin bear, Barbies, miscellaneous other dolls, dollhouse etc.--FLEW off the tables. Completely gone within the first 2 hours or so. Her old crib, rocking chair and table and chair set went fairly quickly too.

Faux flowers and plants were definitely on the list of “hot,” in-demand items. With the exception of one fall season arrangement, they were all gone in a blink of an eye. We’ve all heard how the professional decorators have proclaimed using fake flowers and plants is a huge decorating no-no but it was clear to me this weekend a lot of people either haven’t heard that, or they simply don’t care what the decorators think! ;)

In the past, I’ve had pretty good luck selling clothes so I was a little surprised very few of my name brand career jackets and tops sold, despite being priced in the $2.00 to $5.00 range.

I also had a lot of cute Christmas decorations that didn’t generate much interest, including a 2 ft. tabletop white tree that I had only used once or twice. Wrong time of year for people to be thinking about Christmas, I guess.

There are still a few pieces of furniture I hope will sell on Craigslist but I am extremely pleased my life is a whole lot less cluttered and my bank account is $1300 richer. A definite win-win in my book!

Dear “Grandma”…

2011-02-24T09:28:00.001-05:00

If you’ve been visiting my blog for a while you probably know I have a daughter. I do mention her frequently, but from time to time I’ve also written specific posts about her (like here and here) or written about something exciting she has been involved in (like here). And, of course, there are a couple photos of her with one of her horses on my sidebar.

My daughter isn’t married but that doesn’t stop me from hoping that someday, when she finds “Mr. Right” and the timing is right, she will bless me with at least one grandchild. I’m quite partial to little girls so I dream of being able to buy a granddaughter cute girly things like this…

and this…

and….

well, I think you get the idea.

However, even though my daughter likes kids, she readily admits she likes animals a whole lot more so I have often joked the only “grandchildren” I’ll probably ever have are the four-legged, furry-faced kind, like cats, dogs and obviously, horses.

Yesterday I got an email from a retail website that made me laugh. Of course for you to fully see the humor in this email, I should probably remind you that Jolie is one of my daughter’s horses. The email read:

Subject: Look What Jolie Found at Red Haute Horse

Dear Grandma,

Jolie thought you might be interested in learning about the following item:

Zebra on Purple Polka High Fashion Horse Halter

Our Red Haute Horse High Fashion Horse product line is made in the U.S.A. of 100% vibrant color-fast polyester.

I like this!

Visit Red Haute Horse to view the full selection of products available at Red Haute Horse

Since Jolie apparently likes purple, I wonder if “Grandma” could talk her into 4 of these adorable little lavender numbers for her hooves instead?

I Snooze, I Lose.

2011-02-22T17:28:00.001-05:00

Do you want to see what was listed on Craigslist that I missed out on because I was ambivalent?

This white French chair with beautiful lines and carved details. Look at those legs!

I know. I’m kicking myself.

Want to know how much they were asking for it?

$80.00.

I know! You can kick me too.

The table was only $45.00.

I thought the chair would probably look really nice in the formal living room at the house in Hooterville with my white matelasse slip-covered sofa and loveseat and other white furniture but I was ambivalent about the shell design on the fabric (even though I love shells).

I hesitated over spending $80 for a really beautiful chair.

Meanwhile, while I was hesitating, somebody else jumped right on it.

Oh, when will I ever learn?

Linking up to White Wednesday #88 @ Faded Charm

A Media Console and Coffee Table for the Family Room, Finally!

2011-02-18T10:16:00.001-05:00

For months…

and months…

I have been searching for a media console and coffee table for the family room at the house in Hooterville. I mentioned in this post how I was really leaning more toward a pine finish rather than a dark finish and how that was severely hindering my ability to find something I liked since darker finishes are definitely more in vogue right now.

In that post, I even showed some possible table and media console contenders. But then, for one reason or another, I vetoed them all and started looking again.

Finally, I found this for the TV and media equipment from here and fell in love.

As far as I was concerned, this was IT but just as I was all ready to go buy it, hubby decided to get a new, larger TV during the pre-Christmas sales.

We measured the new TV. Then we went to RTG and measured the TV console. Just my luck…the new TV ended up being one-half inch too big to fit into the media cabinet that had stolen my heart!!

ONE-HALF INCH! ::groan::

Hubby was not amused when I suggested he take his really B-I-G TV back and trade it for a slightly smaller one.

Back to the drawing board. I started looking at TV consoles…AGAIN.

About a month ago, I found this Newberry console. It was a brand spanking new item on the PB website .

photo source: Pottery Barn

I didn’t ♥♥♥ it as much as the other one but it did have possibilities, namely…

#1. The finish was a pine stain.

#2. It had plenty of room to hold hubby’s electronic ~~stuff~~ “components.”

#3. There was no enclosed cabinet to worry about the really B-I-G new TV fitting into.

So here it sits (with the new really B-I-G TV on it) in the semi-naked family room waiting for hubby to finish setting up the electronic components, and hiding the wires and cords, and me to decide on some art for the walls and other miscellaneous decor.

Now what I did ♥♥♥ was the coordinating Newberry coffee table!

photo source: Pottery Barn

Even though it was so “me,” I ruled it out right away because hubby doesn’t completely share my enthusiasm for white. We I already have a lot of white in the house (white or off-white furniture in almost every room, white carpet in the formal living/dining room, white kitchen, bathroom and laundry room cabinets etc.) so I was going to try to steer clear of more white furniture.

But he said he liked it. In fact, he said he liked it better than the coffee table I was considering. Huh? He repeatedly encouraged me to get it. (Maybe because I didn’t pitch a fit and insist he take back the B-I-G TV that didn’t fit into the media cabinet I really loved? Maybe.)

We went to the store, bought the Newberry coffee table, got it home, unboxed it and……..

Ohhhhh nooooo! It had a big crack in it. :(

The only other one they had in the store was the floor model and the manager told me it had a crack in it too. He said it would probably be at least 6 weeks before they would get any more in but he’s suppose to call me when they arrive.

Two more decorating decisions crossed off the list.

Only about a “bazillion” more to go.

A Purple Orchid, the Bathroom Storage Cabinet, and the Next Big Renovation Project

2011-02-08T00:39:00.001-05:00

I’m still working on finishing up a few things in the new bathroom at the house in Hooterville. Hubby got the pieces of chair rail molding cut for me but I see another trip to Lowe’s in my future before I can get it painted and installed. I was all set to start painting and remembered I was out of white semi-gloss paint. Darn!

I still need a towel rack but I’m mulling over ideas for that. I’d also like to find a piece of art to hang over the toilet but I haven’t seen anything that really grabs me yet.

Something else I have been on the lookout for was some type of flowering plant to add a pop of color. (A realistic looking faux, of course, since I don’t do live plants. No green thumb here, folks.)

In my head, I was envisioning something in a pretty pink but when I spotted this faux orchid plant at TJMaxx the other day, the vivid shade of purple made me stop and do a double-take.

I wasn’t sure how the reddish purple was going to look with the bluish gray paint on the walls but I figured if it didn’t work, I could always return it.

But I think I like it! The color is different enough from the paint to be interesting and add the pop of color I was looking for.

The amazing cabinet guy who built my kitchen cabinets and fabricated the sink and countertop for the vanity in this bathroom has now finished and installed the custom storage cabinet in here. Once again, he has outdone himself! He took the vague ideas I had and was able to turn them into a beautiful, functional cabinet that seamlessly flows with the rest of the bathroom. I’m 200% pleased.

With 4 generous sized drawers on the bottom…

The view from the doorway of the adjoining bedroom

…and 4 adjustable shelves in the upper section, I should have ample storage space for all those bathroom necessities that I want and need to have handy but hate to leave sitting out in plain view.

The next (and last) really big inside project on the agenda at the house in Hooterville will be the 3rd bathroom. The 2 photos below were taken the day we first looked at the house in September 2009.

Believe it or not, this is considered the MASTER bathroom! Sad and pathetic, isn’t it?

Bet you’re wondering how I’m going to improve this.

Yeah, me too.

I do have a few ideas I’m tossing around in my head but it is going to be a challenge, to say the least. That’s why I’ve saved it for last.

Nesting Herb Crates

2011-02-01T18:19:00.001-05:00

Just want to send a shout out to all the new visitors and followers I received after Kim @ Savvy Southern Style so kindly featured the vanity from my bathroom renovation after her “Boring to Better” Party #12 last week.

If there are any of my readers who don’t know Kim (is there anyone who doesn’t know her?), I urge you to go over and check out her blog. She’s an amazing decorator and furniture refinisher! I’m sure you will also enjoy her “Boring to Better” linky party every Wednesday because don’t we all love seeing before/after photos?!

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

Today I wanted to tell you about a little present I recently treated myself to.

Well…it’s actually something for the house in Hooterville. The house seems to be the recipient of all the “presents” these days.

I first saw these here…

photo credit

I bet you did too!

Then, some time later, I saw them in HomeGoods but foolishly passed them up.

WHY do I DO that?!

But I couldn’t stop thinking about how cute they were so now I have a set to call my own. I’m not sure yet where I’m going to hang them, or what I’m going to fill them with, but that’s half the fun!

If you are interested in a set for yourself,

ummmm…I mean a present for your house,

I found them here.

By the way…are you old enough for these herb crates to remind you of THAT song? My high school chorus teacher made us practice it so many times I actually came to hate it back then. Funny I should end up with something that will remind me of it every.single.day.

Living Lighter Without So Much…STUFF

2011-01-28T22:39:00.001-05:00

With the new year, I know many of you have been working on organizing the different areas of your home.

Several years ago, I made a vow to get rid of the unnecessary STUFF and get organized in my own home. After my parents had both passed away, it took my sister, my husband and me SEVEN full weekends to clean out the home where my parents had lived for more than 40 years. The amount of STUFF they had accumulated through the years was overwhelming. I decided right then and there that I never wanted my daughter to have to deal with cleaning out an over-abundance of STUFF her dad and I have saved through the years.

Well, much like the pain of childbirth, the time-consuming and overwhelming task of cleaning out my parents’ home was soon forgotten and the STUFF in my own home, garage and the backyard storage sheds I/we no longer used or wanted continued to sit untouched…

until…

a couple of months ago when I started packing for the move to the house in Hooterville.

I have been determined to go through every closet, every drawer, every piece of paper, every storage box in the garage and sheds, every inch of this house and decide what to keep, toss, donate and sell BEFORE it gets moved. I refuse to take STUFF to the new house that we don’t want or use.

Not surprising, after 38 years of marriage and 35 years in the same house, this task has been equally as overwhelming as going through my parents’ home was. Our garage has looked like a bomb went off in it ever since I started the sorting process. Yikes!

However, this is the perfect opportunity to pare down and move only the STUFF that is most important to us.

In this process of purging, I have realized I’ve kept a lot of STUFF for sentimental reasons. I still have my daughter’s crib. (She’s 28 for pity sakes!) I still have her childhood rocking chair and her little wooden table and chair set. I also saved her Teddy Ruxpin bear, her Cabbage Patch and American Girl dolls and some of the other popular toys from her early years. I feel a sentimental attachment to them but I also thought perhaps someday, if my daughter had children of her own, they might like to have them. I have come to realize these things have more meaning to me than they do to my daughter. So…it’s time to let them go.

Teddy and some toys ready for the garage sale

I also still have my wedding gown from our wedding 38 years ago.

If/when my daughter gets married, I’m sure she will want to pick out a wedding gown that is reflective of her taste and the current styles rather than wear mine that is out of fashion, yellowed, stained and has a weird smell after being packed away for so many years. So why am I saving it? It’s a HUGE dress with tier after tier of lace. It weighs a ton and takes up a lot of space to store it. It’s time to let the wedding gown go too.

But, before I get rid of it, I do plan to cut a piece of the lace off to be made into a special (smaller) keepsake…to appease the sentimental part of me.

It also occurred to me that I have kept a lot of STUFF because I’m afraid I might need it again someday. Things I bought years ago and used for years have served their purpose but I continue to hold onto them…JUST IN CASE. Heaven forbid…what if I might want it or need it again?! In reality though, I’m finding I didn’t even remember I had most of this STUFF until I started going through the storage bins so, in all likelihood, I’m sure I won’t even miss it after it’s gone.

As I continue to go through the process of deciding what to keep, toss, donate and sell, I still have a tendency to want to keep more than I should but I have weeded out an unbelievable amount of STUFF. This is only about 1/3 of the STUFF that will be sold at our garage sale. (Doesn’t look like much in the photo but in some places STUFF is piled up 3 feet high!)

We’ll be living a lot lighter and more organized in the house in Hooterville and I think it’s going to feel really good!

What about you? Do you hold on to things because you are attached to STUFF, like me? Or do you find it easy to let go of things you no longer want or need?

From Ugly Duckling to Beautiful Swan (A Bathroom Metamorphosis)

2011-01-23T21:41:00.001-05:00

I’ve been itching to post the results of the house in Hooterville hall bathroom renovation but I was detained in Hooterville last week babysitting my daughter’s two cats and dog while she was out of town and didn’t have access to my blogging computer.

So even though Rodney, the cabinet guy who remodeled my kitchen, is still working on the storage cabinet for this bathroom, and I don’t have the chair rail molding up yet, I’m now ready to reveal the transformation…which turned out to be a pretty remarkable transformation, if I do say so myself!

Just a reminder of what we inherited when we bought the house…

a mish-mash of bad flooring

a privacy wall that made the toilet area extremely cramped

a pedestal sink that afforded ZERO storage

and

no mirror

and approximately 5 feet of wasted space to the left of the pedestal sink.

After we bought the house, I painted the peach walls white, just to freshen up the space until I could decide what I wanted to do in here.

While pondering renovation options, I was of the opinion the privacy wall should come down but there was just a hint of doubt in my mind so I asked my readers. The overwhelming consensus was YES, rip it out!

You don’t have to tell me twice! Out it came!

In fact, the whole bathroom was gutted, right down to the studs.

Below the new bathtub is in and the tile being installed.

I used bead board wallpaper on the lower part of the walls and the paint color on the upper walls ended up being a happy accident. I couldn’t decide what color I wanted to use in here and on a whim I thought I’d *try* the the same color I painted the formal living room and dining room since I had a whole gallon of it left. It’s a bluish gray called Winter in Paris (Valspar paint sold at Lowe’s). I actually like it better in this bathroom than I do in the formal living and dining room.

When you compare it to the aqua in the adjoining bedroom and the green in the hallway, you can see that it is really more gray than it appears in most of these photos.

Inspired by user Colleen_Christine on Rate My Space, I went on the hunt for a free-standing vanity similar to hers and found one identical here (although I didn’t get as good a deal as she did). I was pretty nervous about ordering it sight unseen but when it arrived, I was 100 percent pleased. It’s a solid, sturdy piece and it made the trip from New Jersey to Florida without getting so much as a nick or scratch on it.

With a little paint, new hardware (instead of the wood knobs it came with), and a top made from the same LG Hi-Mac solid surface I selected for the kitchen (fabricated by my amazing cabinet guy, Rodney), and ta da…

WOWSERS! Ain’t she purdy????

(For my readers who voted on the other style vanity, I’ve decided to use something similar to it when I renovate the 3rd bathroom in the house within the next few months.)

As I mentioned, my cabinet guy is building a storage cabinet for that far corner. It will be 24 inches wide, go all the way to the ceiling to look like a built-in and it will be finished off at the top with crown molding.

**Update: the built-in storage cabinet can be seen here.

I love the flooring! Believe it or not, it’s vinyl planks from Home Depot. This was one of the special order colors but it only took about 7 to 10 days to come in. Oh how I wish I had used this product instead of the wood laminate I selected for some of the other rooms in the house!

I’m still keeping my eye out for some little something to add a pop of color in here, and as soon as my cabinet guy gets the storage cabinet installed, I’ll update with photos of it but in the meantime, I’m totally loving my new bathroom.

Hmmm….I think the cat is liking it too!

Product Sources:

48 inch Vanity: Sagehill Design Heartland Home (Model #HH4821D)

Vanity top: LG Hi Mac Solid Surface in “Graphite Granite” (G103)

Vanity cup pulls and knobs: Lowe’s

Chrome Sink Faucet: Moen “Caldwell” (Lowe’s)

Paint: Valspar (Lowe’s) Winter in Paris (5002-1A)

Bead board wallpaper: fellow blogger, Rhoda’s (Southern Hospitality) shop

3 light polished chrome vanity bar: Portfolio (Lowe’s) #0226810

White Framed Mirror: Allen & Roth 32 x 44 inches (Lowe’s Item #239797)

White ceramic & chrome tissue cover, soap dispenser and cup: T.J. Maxx

Wicker basket: T.J. Maxx

Shower Tiles: Ceramiche Guocera Glazed Tiles in Canyon White

Shower/tub faucet: American Standard Colony in polished chrome (Home Depot)

White ceramic tile corner shower shelves: Lowe’s

White waffle weave shower curtain: Target

Vinyl Plank Flooring: Traffic Master “Allure” in Mahogany from Home Depot

Bath rug: J.C. Penney’s Linden Street

Linking up to:

Bathroom Renovation Sneak Peek

2011-01-12T09:32:00.001-05:00

The renovation on the hall bathroom at the house in Hooterville is taking a little longer than I expected. However, it IS progressing and I am extremely excited about the changes.

Everything was ripped out, right down to the studs in some places. Initially, I was undecided about replacing the bathtub and the tile around the tub right now because it wasn’t THAT bad. I finally came to the conclusion it was probably better to bite the bullet, financially and replace everything now, rather than try to do it in stages, since remodeling is so disruptive and messy.

Here’s a not-so-great photo to give you a sneak peek of the new tile, bathtub, flooring, bead board wallpaper, paint color and the base of the new toilet. (I asked the contractor to leave the toilet tank off temporarily so it would be easier for me to hang and paint the bead board wallpaper behind the toilet.)

As I recall, when I asked for opinions, the vote was unanimous to remove the privacy half-wall and what a wonderful difference it made! In addition, using all one type of flooring instead of the mish-mash combination of (badly laid) tile and parquet certainly enlarged the space, visually.

Just in case you forgot, here’s a “before” photo of what we inherited when we bought the house.

The new sink/vanity is also in. It was installed Monday but I’m going to keep you in suspense a little longer as to which style I decided on. I will say I am over-the-moon THRILLED with it! It’s BEAUTIFUL! Or at least I think so. I’ve stood in the doorway at least 47 times, just staring at it and smiling.

There is still work to do in here so I hope you will keep checking back for the big reveal. Hopefully, I’ll have better pictures to share and, for those who might be interested, I’ll soon be providing the low-down on all the details like paint color, flooring info etc.

The Roving Rudolph Mystery—Part II

2011-01-02T18:43:00.001-05:00

Before we get too far past the Christmas holiday season, I wanted to provide an update on the Roving Rudolph Mystery. If you missed that post, you may want to go read it first so this post makes more sense…or as much sense as something this bizarre can make.

During the month of November and into December, Rudolph continued to gad-about the My Cottage of Bliss neighborhood, as he had done since mid-summer.

On this day, he had picked up a different straw hat, a pair of red shorts, a Hawaiian lei, sunglasses, and a camera. What is difficult to clearly see in this picture is Rudolph has a red straw up to his mouth and appears to be sipping something from a red “Coke” beverage container. Yep, I’d say there is little doubt Rudolph is enjoying his laid-back Florida vacation to the max!

Below he was sporting a Florida State University pennant banner and a yellow handkerchief that he elected to wear on his antlers. This reindeer is one style icon!

It would appear Rudolph is not only a fan of the various Florida college and professional sports teams but he enjoys playing sports himself. The next time I saw him, he was wearing tennis shoes and carrying a tennis racquet. (But if he wears his shoes on his front feet, how do you suppose he swings the racquet?) There was also something above his hat that depicts the University of Florida gator mascot. (A tee shirt wrapped around his antlers, perhaps? I couldn’t tell.)

Closer to Christmas, Rudolph was spotted fraternizing with other reindeers. He stayed in this yard longer than I had seen him stay anywhere but at some point, I think he must have slipped off to the mall to do a little Christmas shopping because he was carrying a blue plastic bag. (I’d love to know what he bought. Something sports-related, no doubt, but hopefully some shorts that aren’t quite so baggy!)

Several days before Christmas, I left to go over to the house in Hooterville. I was gone for about 9 or 10 days so when I returned to My Cottage of Bliss on New Year’s Day, I truly expected Rudolph to be gone.

Imagine my surprise when I spotted him on the roof of this house!

Geeez, I have to say this sight sort of tugged at my heartstrings. Still wearing his sunglasses, doesn’t it appear as though he’s looking toward the sky and waiting for Santa Claus, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen to pass over with the sleigh so he can link up with them?

Poor Rudolph. I think he might have missed his chance. I suspect Santa and the other reindeers have already returned to the North Pole to rest up and then prepare for Christmas 2011.

Now it will be interesting to see if Rudolph continues his vacation in this Florida neighborhood until NEXT Christmas.

Construction Zone

2010-12-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

The remodel on this bathroom started this week.

Everything was ripped out and we’re starting from scratch.

I can’t wait to see it come together and show you which vanity I decided on! Hopefully, I should have pictures of an almost complete bathroom next week.

Meanwhile, I hope everyone has a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous 2011!

Frosty In (Hooterville) Florida

2010-12-29T14:02:00.001-05:00

For the past two mornings, the view out the back door of the house in Hooterville has looked like this.

We’ve had freezing temperatures overnight and everything was covered in a blanket of frost.

Like this past January, the farmers in the area have been watering their crops all night long which, in turn, has depleted the water supply in the underground aquifer. As a result, many residents who get their water from wells have found themselves without water, including us.

Some days this city girl wonders if living in the country is all it’s cracked up to be. Call me crazy and/or spoiled but I really like the convenience of having water available whenever I want it so I’m not too happy when I turn on the faucet and nothing comes out, or the toilet won’t flush because there’s no water. Fortunately, however, we have a very deep well and about 40 minutes after the farmers were required to turn off their sprinklers, the aquifer had replenished enough that our well was able to start pumping water again. Hooray!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-22T12:42:00.001-05:00

Are you ready?

My gifts are wrapped, the groceries are bought, and I’ve done as much of the food pre-preparation as I can. Before I head off to the house in Hooterville to spend the holiday there, I wanted to wish all my loyal and supportive blog friends a very Merry Christmas! Blessings to you all.

Christmas By Candlelight

2010-12-19T23:31:00.001-05:00

Sort of at the last minute, my daughter decided she wanted to have a Windswept Farm Christmas party this coming Thursday night for our boarders and people she knows from other barns so I put the packing on hold to help her pull some things together for the party.

Several days ago, it occurred to me it would be nice if we had some type of decoration to place on the tables where the food will be set up. We’re trying to make things look festive but most of my Christmas decorations are packed for the upcoming move to the house in Hooterville. Since I didn’t have anything readily accessible from my Christmas decoration stash, I was going to have to buy something. But what? “It” needed to be simple and cheap, and certainly not too fancy because we’ll be partying outside around the barns.

I turned to Blogland for inspiration and of course, I was not let down! On several blogs I saw variations of canning jar votive candles and thought I’d try making my own.

Seriously, the hardest part of this project was finding the darn jelly jars! I went to two Wal-Marts, Target, Big Lots and K-Mart without any luck. Who would have thought canning jars would be so hard to find?! Finally, a K-Mart sales associate suggested I try the grocery store across the street.

Score!

Then I was off to Michael’s and JoAnn craft stores for a few supplies to decorate the jars. This also proved to be a bit of a challenge because the Christmas stuff was pretty well picked over. (Just a little more than a week before Christmas, what did I expect?)

I decided on one little bag of red bead-like balls and one stem of faux Christmas greenery that had multiple sprigs and a few miniature pine cones on it. I already had a ball of jute twine at home.

For each jar, I pulled off one little sprig of greenery from the main stem and attached it to the neck of the jar with my glue gun. I wrapped the jute around the neck of the jar two or three times, tied a knot in the front, and untwisted the jute ends to make them “fluffier.” Then I attached the red balls and pine cones in the area of the knot with hot glue. I varied the placement of the red balls and pinecones so no two jars were identical. Similar. But not the same.

To simulate snow, I poured about 1 inch of Epson salts into each jar and set a white votive candle down into it, making sure the candle was placed well below the rim of the jar so the candle flame could not make contact with any of the jute twine I had fluffed.

I decorated a dozen jelly jars but they were so quick, easy and inexpensive to make, I think I’m going to go back and get 12 more.

If 12 jars of flickering candlelight are good, 24 jars should be even better!

Is It Weird To Be Excited About a Bathroom? In the Barn?

2010-12-16T23:20:00.001-05:00

Recently I mentioned some improvements have been taking place on the Craigslist barn, including the addition of a bathroom back in that alcove on the right.

The bathroom is FINISHED and, weird or not, I’m excited about it!

This will be a huge convenience to our boarders. For the past 11 months, the boarders ( and workmen, for that matter) have had to come up to the house, or go to Daughter’s house, if “nature” called. I always worried some might just attempt to “hold it” rather than impose by asking to use our bathrooms. Now there is no need for anyone to be uncomfortable while trying to spend time enjoying their horse.

If you don’t count the construction…

and the overall barn concrete project…

and the plumber…

and the cost of putting in a septic tank…

I actually spent less than $10.00 to “furnish” this bathroom! I only had to buy the black trash can and the wall-mounted toilet paper holder. Everything else we already had.

The arched, beveled mirror hung over my daughter’s dresser when she lived at home.

The light fixture, toilet and pedestal sink came from here. The pedestal sink looks a whole lot better in here than it did where it was!

This cute horse print was in my daughter’s room when she was a little girl. I simply took it out of its original skinny, light wood frame and remounted it into this chunkier black frame I already had so it would pop against the light walls.

Someone gave my daughter this other horse print a few years back and I bought the paper towel rack a long time ago for something and ended up not using it. (Maybe I should spray it black?)

The bucket was a green St. Patrick bucket that was decorated in shamrocks and had “Pail of Ale” written on the side. I found it at Goodwill several years ago for a couple bucks and it was a “pending” project that I never got to. I decided to abandon my original idea for it, sprayed it black and put it to work holding extra rolls of TP.

I think at some point we are going to have to make a decision about staining or painting the concrete floor, as well as the T1-11 plywood we used on the walls. However, those are projects for another day. My main goal for now was getting the bathroom usable.

So there you have it…the barn bathroom that has me doing the happy dance!

It’s not fancy but it’s sure better than some of the barn bathrooms I’ve had to use over the past 19 years since my daughter first started riding horses. A few of them were little more than an outhouse. (ick)

And speaking of bathrooms…the renovation on this bathroom is scheduled to start the Monday after Christmas. I’m also excited to see how that all comes together.

Brrrrr! Is This REALLY Florida?

2010-12-14T17:11:00.001-05:00

When it’s THIS cold in Florida in December, that’s not a real promising sign it will be a mild winter for us.

January and February are generally our coldest months and even then we don’t usually see too many days where the thermometer seems to be stuck in the 40’s during the day (and much lower at night). But that is exactly the type of weather we have had for the past few days. The wind chill has made it seem even worse.

This is the second winter in a row we’ve experienced bitter cold. The house in Hooterville is in an area heavily populated with farms, especially strawberry farms, and many of the crops were damaged by a long stretch of unusually cold weather we had in January. The strawberry fields were only re-planted about 6 weeks ago so I’m sure the poor farmers are moaning, “Oh no, not again!” and worrying about their tender, young plants.

Being new to the Hooterville area last year, I was in awe at some of the wintery sights we saw. Now…

Not so much. The newness has worn off for me.

Those of you who live in the colder climates and deal with freezing temperatures year after year…

I don’t know how you do it!

At noon today, there were still icicles in the orange grove next to the house in Hooterville.

Have a closer look…

Yep, it sure looks like a repeat of last winter to me! :(

Needless to say, the fireplace at the house in Hooterville has gotten a good workout during the past few days. When my hubby brought in some kindling wood in an old plastic 5 gallon paint bucket, I knew it was a good excuse to run out and buy the cute, round seagrass basket (located with the Smith & Hawken items at Target) I’ve been drooling over for a couple months.

On the chalkboard label it comes with, I felt compelled to write my commentary on the cold weather.

As a lover of warm weather, green grass, capris and flip flops…

I’m about ready to move farther south.

Or better yet…

HAWAII!

Tables For the Family Room

2010-12-08T10:05:00.001-05:00

In my quest to furnish the family room at the house in Hooterville, I have tried to shop according to “my style” and the list of things I love. The slip-covered sofa, chair and ottoman I bought was an easy decision (although that purchase later turned into a disaster).

Finding a media console for the TV, a coffee table and sofa table is a whole other story. Those three little pieces of furniture have been giving me absolute fits.

For months I have been mulling over all the different possibilities. I really didn’t have a clear idea what I wanted until I visited Marcy @ Antique Chase. Right there in Marcy’s home was nearly everything I loved from “my list” but I especially fell in love with how her white slip-covered furniture looks with the pine pieces she has used throughout her home.

photo source: Antique Chase

As a result, I have been perusing furniture stores and the internet, looking for a TV console, coffee table and sofa table. It’s no easy feat to find the pine finish in furniture these days. Much darker woods seem to be more the trend. And it’s even harder to find the pine finish in a style I like!

I didn’t want or need the three pieces to be an exact match as they won’t be sitting side-by-side in the room, so after weeks and weeks of searching, here’s my tentative choices:

The “Hyde” turned leg coffee table from Pottery Barn in the rustic pine stain.

This “Wilshire” Sideboard in an antique pine finish.

For the TV, I’m considering the lower section only of the Coastal Living Cottage console in the finish they call “Boardwalk.” (I originally posted about this line of furniture by Stanley Furniture here.)

This doesn’t appear to really be a true pine color but it’s the only thing I’ve been able to find that I even remotely liked the style of AND came close to a pine finish. This piece is also quite pricey but since I typically keep my furniture foooooorever, I might splurge. After a few phone calls, I found a retailer in Tampa that has it on display in this finish so I think I just need to see it in person.

Can anyone suggest any other good sources for pine finished furniture before I make my final decision? Or should I just GO for it with these?

Finding My Decorating Style

2010-12-03T00:46:00.001-05:00

I’m a little slow. After being married and decorating my home for nearly 38 years (next week!), it seems it has just been in the past 3 1/2 years I have finally been able to pin-point certain decorating looks, colors and decor items I love living with day-in and day-out, year after year.

I like many different decorating styles. In fact, sometimes think I have decorating attention deficit disorder but after I sat down with pencil and paper and made an actual list, a pattern emerged and there were some things I realized I am drawn to time and time again.

I never tire of:

light and bright
white! white! white!
pastel colors, especially soft greens and pinks
black and gray (over brown and beige)

photo source: A Vintage White

wrought iron
wicker & rattan
baskets
floral anything, especially roses (art, fabrics, china etc.)
garden/nature decor (clay pots, birds, bird houses & cages, nests & eggs etc.)
greenery, especially ivy, ferns and topiaries

(Someday, I hope the front porch of the house in Hooterville looks just like this!)

photo source: unknown

2" white faux wood blinds
plantation shutters
crisp white bead board
shells and beachy decor

photo by Dan Mayers

great moldings around windows and doors
crown molding
no (or very simple) fabric window treatments

photo source: Better Homes & Gardens

lace
crystal candlesticks
tea cups
white pitchers
milk glass

Did I say white?

photo source: www.countryliving.com

slip covered furniture (neat & fitted, not sloppy)
painted furniture (especially white!)
curvy furniture
furniture with details like carvings or moldings

Although my first choice will always be white furniture over wood tones, I am drawn to some wood pieces if they are:

semi-rustic and aged looking (but not too beat up)
light to medium tone in color

photo source: Better Homes & Gardens

For many years I thought my style was Traditional but clearly, my preferred decorating style is really the more informal Cottage Style…actually a mixture of Romantic Cottage, Beach Cottage, French Country Cottage, and maybe to a lesser degree, English Cottage.

Have you ever stopped to really think about what decorating looks, colors and decor items you are repeatedly drawn to? If you are sort of floundering around, looking for your decorating style, I bet you will find it if you make a list of the decorating elements in your home you love and never have the burning desire to change.

Jolie In Training

2010-12-02T12:41:00.001-05:00

I’m interrupting the post I originally planned because I would like to share a photo that touched me and brought tears to my eyes.

Yesterday, my daughter loaded Jolie on a trailer and made a six hour drive north to Tallahassee, Florida. There is a woman up there who has experience in breaking wild mustangs and apparently, she has a real knack and reputation for accomplishing it quite quickly. She is going to work with Jolie for the next 30 to 60 days and get her rideable.

My daughter just emailed me this photo she took of Jolie’s first lesson this morning.

That blue eye does look a little wild with alarm but…

JOLIE ACTUALLY HAS A SADDLE ON HER BACK!

One Chore Leads to Another

2010-11-30T10:34:00.001-05:00

My efforts at the laborious job of packing for the move to the house in Hooterville continue but I got a little side-tracked again.

With all the time we’ve spent renovating the Hooterville house and farm over the past 13 months, it’s been a while since I’ve taken the time to do any heavy-duty dusting in My Cottage of Bliss.

Apparently longer than I realized!

Dusting has never been my favorite housekeeping job anyway but when I started to wrap and box up the nick-nacks and collections, I was actually repulsed by how grimy everything felt.

Ick!

I couldn’t bring myself to pack it all up without washing it first. This is when I wish I didn’t have so many collections!

Pictured above are pieces of my grandmother’s milk glass which she gave to me through the years prior to her death 4 years ago at the age of 99. I haven’t even gotten to my mom’s crystal pieces, my Precious Moments figurines, or the china cabinet yet!

I’m just really ready to have this business of packing and moving DONE so it’s a pain to have to take the time to wash this stuff before I wrap and box it for the move. I have to keep reminding myself that even though it’s slowing me down now, it will save me time later. It will be wonderful to just unpack and immediately put my (clean) collections away in their new home.

What’s your favorite and/or least favorite housekeeping job?

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-24T10:32:00.001-05:00

This time last year we had just bought the house in Hooterville about 3 weeks before Thanksgiving and had a mile long list of projects that needed to be accomplished by January 1, so we opted to save time in the kitchen by having our Thanksgiving dinner at a buffet restaurant down the road.

We actually enjoyed the buffet’s offerings so much, we’ve decided to have our Thanksgiving meal there again this year. My hubby’s family will be joining us.

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving this year? Are you cooking at home, or eating out?

Happy Thanksgiving from My Cottage of Bliss!

Improvements to the Craigslist Barn

2010-11-23T12:16:00.001-05:00

The house in Hooterville has not been the sole focus of our renovation projects. For the last month or so, a lot of work has been taking place on the partially built barn we bought off Craigslist in January.

One big project we have been working toward for many, many months was finally completed about 2 weeks ago. Four big trucks arrived to pour concrete down the center aisle of the barn.

Up to this point, the center aisle had just been dirt, which always looked so messy and was…well….

DIRTY!

Concrete made a world of difference and with the help of a leaf blower, it will be much easier to keep neat and clean.

Of course, for posterity’s sake, we had to write in the new concrete…

Windswept Farm Est. 2010

My daughter also sunk one of Tango’s actual horseshoes into the concrete and her name was written inside the curve of it. Tango the Movie Star now has her own tribute, just like the stars who have been immortalized at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre Hollywood Walk of Fame. ;)

When we bought the Craigslist barn, it had six 12 ft. x 12 ft. finished stalls and the space to add six more. We just had two more 12 ft. x 12 ft. stalls built as well as a double-wide 24 ft. x 12 ft. broodmare stall for mother and baby (photo below) because my daughter wants to try to breed Tango again after the first of the year. If at any point the larger stall is not needed, a partition can be built to turn it into two 12ft. x 12 ft. stalls, like the other stalls in the barn.

Two of the 12 x 12 areas intended for stalls were turned into wash racks (areas to bathe the horses).

This open area on one end of the barn was enclosed and went from this…

to this.

It will be a tack room were our boarders can store their saddles, bridles and miscellaneous horse stuff.

Within the next week or two, the red siding will also be finished on the upper portion of the barn.

Looking down the center aisle, the new tack room is on the right.

On the left, directly across the aisle from the boarder’s tack room, will be my daughter’s own private tack room. To the right of it, in the back portion of that alcove, there will be a bathroom for the boarders. Yeah! That has been a long awaited addition so the boarders won’t have to come up to the house to use the bathroom anymore.

It looks like the designated painter (me!) will soon have more painting projects to work on…the tack room and bathroom doors and trim!

Is It Pumpkin Bread? Or Pumpkin Cake? Both!

2010-11-16T19:31:00.001-05:00

I think everybody has a favorite pumpkin bread recipe but in case you don’t, here’s a great one for you to try. (Yes, two recipe posts in a row but I promise I’m not turning this into a cooking blog!)

I’ve been making this recipe forever…so long that I can’t even remember where the recipe came from. I love it because it’s not only quick, easy and tasty, but it’s versatile too. The original recipe calls for cooking it in a Bundt pan but I’ve also made it as a sheet cake with the optional frosting recipe below. Most of the time though, I cook it in loaf pans and leave it unfrosted, like pumpkin bread.

It’s incredibly moist right out of the oven but after a couple days in the refrigerator (if it lasts that long!), it becomes so moist it just melts in your mouth.

PUMPKIN BREAD (OR PUMPKIN CAKE)

1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 cup canned pumpkin (not canned pumpkin pie filling) We like a stronger pumpkin taste so I usually use more like 1 1/2 cups...almost the whole small can
1 large box vanilla instant pudding
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Dump all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Pour into greased & floured pan and bake at 350 degrees. Bundt pan takes about 1 hour, sheet cake about 25-30 minutes, loaf pans about 30-50 minutes, depending on size. (One recipe will make at least two loaves, more if you are using smaller loaf pans).

Frosting (Optional)

8 oz. package cream cheese
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla (I usually use more)
1/2 to 3/4 box powdered sugar
1-3 tablespoons milk if necessary to achieve desired consistency

Beat until smooth and creamy.

White Chicken Chili…Heaven in a Bowl!

2010-11-09T11:20:00.001-05:00

Right up front I’m going to say, I am not fond of chili.

I know, I know! That’s almost un-American, isn’t it? I can eat a few bites of it but after that……blech!

For some reason, I guess perhaps because I knew we were in store for some cooler weather this past weekend, white chicken chili popped into my head last week. I have never had the opportunity to try it so I turned to the internet to investigate what ingredients go into it. Not so surprising, there are many variations. I printed out several different recipes and combined the ingredients I thought my family and I would like best.

Oh! My!

Where have you been all my life white chicken chili???

This wasn’t chili; it was heaven in a bowl! I’ll definitely be making this again!

If you don’t already have your own White Chicken Chili recipe, here’s what I came up with.

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

INGREDIENTS:

Skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
Olive oil to cook chicken in
1 stick of butter
¼ cup all purpose flour
8 oz. chicken broth (use a little less if you want a thicker chili)
2 cups fat free half & half
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons hot sauce (Tabasco, Crystal etc.)
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder (plus enough to season chicken before cooking)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 can (16 oz.) of Bush’s great northern beans, slightly drained
1 can (4 oz) chopped mild green chilies, drained
2 cans corn, drained
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil over moderately high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and a little chili powder. Cook in skillet until done and nicely browned. Remove chicken from skillet and when cool, chop or shred.

In the same skillet, cook chopped onion in 2 Tablespoons of butter until softened. Add minced garlic and set aside.

In a heavy pot large enough to hold all ingredients, melt 6 Tablespoons of butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Add chicken broth and half & half. Continue whisking until thickened. Stir in hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and cheese. Add onions, beans, chilies, chicken and corn. Cook over moderately low heat for about 20 minutes. (I skipped this step because I wasn’t serving it until the next day and planned to heat it in my crock pot for several hours instead.)

A Little Purging…A Little Packing…A Little Playing

2010-11-04T22:13:00.001-04:00

October 30th was one year since we bought the house in Hooterville. It’s hard for me to believe it has been a year already.

The renovations to the new house are far from done but we’ve made enough progress that the formal move is imminent and it’s now time to start the dreaded chore of packing.

I’m quite sad about leaving My Cottage of Bliss. Hubby and I have lived here more than 35 years and lots of memories have been made in this little house. My childhood years were also spent in this neighborhood…just 4 streets away.

I’m attempting to lessen the emotionality of it all by taking baby steps and packing a little at a time but it’s still a challenge.

The first room to be significantly taken apart was my tiny, but cozy, family room. I have to tell you…

when it went from this…

to this…

the reality of the move hit me…hard.

I am also completely overwhelmed by the amount of stuff we have accumulated in the 35 years we’ve lived here. Sheeeesh! It’s unbelievable. Some days I feel like it’s going to take another year to empty out this house.

Knowing I already have way too much stuff I have to either purge or pack has been good motivation for me to drastically cut back on my thrifting trips to Goodwill, since that’s where I seem to find things I really don’t need.

One thing I almost always find impossible to pass up at Goodwill are random china pieces with pink roses.

For example…

this round, domed butter dish I found recently.

Five dollars.

TOTALLY unnecessary but I ask you…

for $5.00, how could I leave this beauty behind?

I’ve also developed a weakness for silver flatware, especially spoons. I found these 7 Wm. Rogers & Son silver soup spoons at Goodwill for just $1.00.

The pattern is very simple but they are bigger than my everyday flatware soup spoons and have a deeper bowl on them, which I like. For some reason, cereal, oatmeal and soup seems to taste a lot better when eaten with one of these spoons. :)

It was really dreary and rainy here today, which means cooler temperatures are finally on the way for us Floridians. I had plans to start emptying my china cabinet today but I got a little side-tracked and did more playing than packing. Just for fun, I plopped a few pretties (some of which were previous Goodwill finds) in my old childhood Easter basket and was so pleased with the results, now I don’t want to pack it up!

Next week, some major changes will be taking place at the farm on the Craigslist barn.

Also, the tile I ordered for the bathroom renovation has come in and I finally made a decision on a vanity so that project should be getting underway soon.

Meanwhile, I’m still trying to get the house in Hooterville kitchen painted and the backsplash done!

Art For a French Country Inspired Breakfast Room

2010-10-26T19:09:00.001-04:00

Last week I popped by one of my favorite antique malls and came across 4 matted and framed companion prints that really caught my eye.

For some reason, I’m always drawn to topiaries anyway but the blues and greens seemed perfect for the breakfast room at the house in Hooterville.

In addition, they are 16 inches x 18 inches and grouping the 4 of them together would nicely fill the large wall over the breakfast room table.

The price was right too; $20 each (marked down from $45).

But in my typical fashion, I hem-hawed over whether to buy them. I walked around the store, came back and looked at them again. Walked around the store more. Came back and studied the prints once again. (No one can ever accuse me of being impulsive. lol.)

I was trying to visualize them with the other things I have been picking up for the breakfast room during the past year…

the French Country table and chairs from Craigslist…

the bench from Marshalls…

the blue & white pieces I’m starting to collect…

to go in the Craigslist hutch…

the large wall clock from HomeGoods…

the iron chandelier from eBay…

the A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. blue and green bunny tassel sweet Gloria made for me.

and the “Abigail” rug from Ballard Designs

photo source: Ballard Designs

In fact, this photo of the Abigail rug …

photo source: Ballard Designs

and this photo were my inspiration for the breakfast room.

photo source: BHG

Ultimately, I decided the prints just seemed a little too “light and fluffy” so I left the store without them.

Then, in my oh-so-typical fashion, I continued to think about them for the next 2 days…which is usually a sign I should have bought the very thing(s) I can’t stop thinking about!

Back across town I went, hoping the prints were still there.

Fortunately, they were!

Using a bottle of acrylic craft paint I already had on hand, I painted the frames black. But rather than paint them completely, I was painstakingly careful (with the aid of an itty bitty, teeny, tiny art brush) to leave just a little of the original gold detail so they still had some dimension and interest.

To my eyes (which are probably permanently crossed now), painting the frames black made a huge difference.

“BEFORE”

“AFTER”

Now that the frames have had a little makeover, I think these prints are going to make a great addition to my French Country inspired breakfast room.

Linking up to the 43rd Power of Paint Party @ Domestically Speaking

The Roving Rudolph Mystery

2010-10-20T22:47:00.001-04:00

Several months ago…it might have been sometime in July…I was driving through my neighborhood when I spotted a large white wooden reindeer peeking out from behind a tree in someone’s yard.

I’m sure you know the kind. This is not the actual reindeer but it looked sort of like this…

Plain. And white.

At the time, I assumed someone was getting a jump on their Christmas decorating, albeit a bit early, but hey, some people leave their Christmas lights up all year so why not put a Christmas reindeer out in the heat of summer? Whatever floats your boat, right?

The next time I drove down that street, I noticed the reindeer was in a different yard. “Hmmm…that’s odd,” I thought.

A few days later, the reindeer had moved again and was in yet another yard…several blocks down the street from where I had seen him last!

Then I noticed “Rudolph” had a red nose. And then at some point, he started wearing clothes! It would appear that every time he moves to a different yard, he is adorned with some type of apparel or “fashionable accessory.”

Finally, a few weeks ago I decided to start taking pictures of Rudolph when I see him in a new location.

Here he is wearing a straw hat, a colorful tropical shirt, and a Tampa Bay Rays (our baseball team) bandana. (Doesn’t he look like he’s on vacation? But what better place to vacation than Florida before it’s time to head back to the North Pole to help Santa in a couple months?)

Here he is in another yard wearing furry white slippers (or gloves?) on his hind feet, pink and white striped socks on his front feet, “Groucho” glasses, and someone has added a Tampa Bay Rays flag.

Here he seems to have lost the furry slippers and the Tampa Bay Rays flag but he gained a red feather in his hat, a black Halloween flag (or cape?), orange garland, and a University of Florida gator mascot sticker or decal on his side.

Last week, Rudolph appeared to be missing for a few days…or at least I wasn’t able to spot him. Perhaps he had traveled to one of the yards on one of the adjacent streets, I don’t know.

But today he was back, wearing something blue and yellow and feathery on his head. He’s starting to look a bit scary, don’t you think?

This Roving Rudolph is a mystery and certainly leaves me wondering several things like…

Who is the person with the sense of humor who started this?

Who moves him? When he has a layover in someone’s yard, does the homeowner move him to a different yard of their choice?

Or… does some unknown person come in the cover of darkness and move him from yard to yard?

And will Rudolph disappear on Christmas Eve, never to be seen again?

If that happens, I’ll be sort of sad to see him go. I’ve started to look forward to seeing if I can find Rudolph and spot his newest accessory every time I drive down this particular street.

My Cottage of Bliss

Jasmin

Jasmin

July 30, 1997 - December 2, 2011

Can We Talk?

Some of This and Some of That (A Post of Randomness)

A Craigslist Deal for the Dining Room

How I Spent the Month of August

A Pair of Chippendale Style Chairs From Craigslist

A Special Keepsake Made With Wedding Gown Lace

Tango’s Movie Debut

L to R : Bertie Higgins, Bianca (who plays “Elena” in the movie), Tango, my daughter, Bertie’s son, Julian (the director), and Robert (who plays “Jack Hooks”)

My Camera

Oh No… Here We Go Again!

Sewing a Faux Roman Shade

New Bookcases For the Living Room

I Love Flip-Flops

I’m Calling This Bathroom *DONE* ! (For Now)

16 Reasons Why I’ve Been a Bad Blogger

Tea For Two at Camellia Rose Tea Cottage

The Camellia Rose Tea Cottage is located in historic downtown Plant City, Florida which is approximately 30 minutes east of Tampa.

Sweet Tomatoes' Broccoli Salad

Resuscitation of an Ancient Ironing Board

Sometimes It Pays To Be Indecisive

A Creative Slump… And Birds Do the Craziest Things!

My Mission: A Pretty Southern Front Porch

Be My Guest

Linking up to:

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

115th Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Wow Us Wednesdays #9 @ Southern Savvy Style

Struggling

And So My Life in Hooterville Begins…

Good-Bye My Cottage of Bliss

P.S. Effective Friday, I’ll be off-line for an undetermined length of time until my blogging computer is moved and reconnected at the house in Hooterville. See ya’ll soon!

Huge Moving Sale!

Dear “Grandma”…

Subject: Look What Jolie Found at Red Haute Horse

Dear Grandma,

Jolie thought you might be interested in learning about the following item:

Zebra on Purple Polka High Fashion Horse Halter

Our Red Haute Horse High Fashion Horse product line is made in the U.S.A. of 100% vibrant color-fast polyester.

I Snooze, I Lose.

A Media Console and Coffee Table for the Family Room, Finally!

A Purple Orchid, the Bathroom Storage Cabinet, and the Next Big Renovation Project

Nesting Herb Crates

Living Lighter Without So Much…STUFF

From Ugly Duckling to Beautiful Swan (A Bathroom Metamorphosis)

Bathroom Renovation Sneak Peek

The Roving Rudolph Mystery—Part II

Construction Zone

Frosty In (Hooterville) Florida

Christmas 2010

Christmas By Candlelight

Is It Weird To Be Excited About a Bathroom? In the Barn?

Brrrrr! Is This REALLY Florida?

Tables For the Family Room

Finding My Decorating Style

Jolie In Training

One Chore Leads to Another

Thanksgiving 2010

Improvements to the Craigslist Barn

Is It Pumpkin Bread? Or Pumpkin Cake? Both!

White Chicken Chili…Heaven in a Bowl!

A Little Purging…A Little Packing…A Little Playing

Art For a French Country Inspired Breakfast Room

The Roving Rudolph Mystery

I’m Calling This Bathroom DONE ! (For Now)