My Little Nest

Real ASCP!!

2012-02-03T07:47:00.000-08:00

I was so pleasantly surprised to find out that something new has come to the hinterlands of Berks County, Pennsylvania! In a little town just a few miles from my little down is a darling shop called "Five & Divine".

You can click on the graphic and it will take you right to their shop!

They sell consignment pieces - bags, jewelry, furniture, children's clothing, etc. - and now they carry the full line of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, brushes, waxes and even books. I am giddy with excitement! While $35 is still pretty steep for a quart of paint, I was really digging my feet in against paying that $15 shipping charge. Now I don't have to and picking up a quart is on my list of things to do this weekend. I know that I want to use chalk paint on the hutch and dining room table but I didn't want to use something that I "made up" in the kitchen! I have a couple of unmatched tables that I use as nightstands on either side of my bed. Now to decide what color to paint them!!

My experiment in homemade "chalk" paint

2012-01-29T15:38:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I had some time on my hands and popped into a small consignment store. When I drove up, I saw a sweet little coat tree. I have been looking for one and this one is a perfect size for my guest room.

It is cold in my basement so the best place to paint is in the kitchen. Thank goodness for paint tarps!

Old, boring and needing some love

I think this may have been someone high school "shop" project from a long time ago!

Since I first read about chalk paint I have wanted to give it a whirl. I would love to try ASCP but until my ship comes in (or at least enters the harbor!), I need a less expensive version. I saw lots of recipes on the internet and decided to try using plaster of Paris, antique white latex paint and water. One of the problems reported with the substitute chalk paint was that it tended to be either lumpy or very grainy. I decided to bring out my immersion blender to mix the product as much as I could. I put the plaster of Paris in the bottom of a recycled Classico spaghetti sauce jar followed by water and then the paint. I mixed it thoroughly and ended up with a very smooth "concoction". (I put a lid on the jar and let it sit for about 15 minutes before I started using it.) One note about using the blender...wash it immediately! I pulled mine out of the paint mixture and immersed it in sudsy water and cleaned it completely. I also noticed that this paint does not come off your hands as easily as regular latex paint. Because I was painting in my kitchen I ended up with some flecks of paint on the upper cabinets. I had to chip it off. I am sure that if I wanted to paint my kitchen cabinets, this stuff would work! Between coats I put my brush in a container of water and then just dried it on paper towels before I used it again. I also did not use "good" brushes. I did not want to mess up my good Purdy brushes so I used some cheap, off the bottom shelf brushes. The first coat had lots of brush marks so I used a foam brush for the second coat just to smooth it out a bit. The first coat dried in about an hour so I quickly applied a second coat. I allowed the second coat to dry for a couple of hours and then distressed it with a sanding block I finished up with a coat of Minwax finishing wax. I also decided not to paint or replace the hardware. I like the patina on the the old brass.

Here it is in the guest room

So, here's my take on "homemade" chalk paint - I loved working with it! I loved the coverage, the texture that it added to the piece, how fast it dried and how quickly I was able to finish my project. Now that I know how easily this works, next week I am going to paint a 200 year old wash stand.

Mexican White Dip

2011-11-22T02:41:00.001-08:00

I totally made up the name of this recipe since I have no idea what else to call it! In the Tidewater area of Virginia, every Mexican restaurant serves their version of this dip along with salsa and a big bowl of chips as an appetizer. When I moved to Seattle I discovered that restaurants there do not serve it and no one had any idea what I was talking about when I mentioned it.

I have been stewing about this for a while and the other day I looked for a recipe on the internet. There were several but I found a YouTube video with a woman who had the recipe given to her by the owner of Plaza Azteca in Virginia Beach so I KNOW it's the recipe for the dip I love. I made it and took it to the office. A couple of people turned up their nose when they asked for the ingredients and I mentioned Miracle Whip. I know - you either love it or hate it. After everyone else was trying it, making yummy noises and asking for the recipe, the nay sayers tried it. I have converts!!

Mexican White Dip

1 cup Miracle Whip (I bought the "light" version)
1/2 cup milk (any fat percentage will work)
1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (this is pretty spicy so cut back a half to full teaspoon if you are "delicate"!)
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (I just used what I had in the cabinet and it worked fine)
Dash of salt (I put Johnny's Seasoning Salt on EVERYTHING!!)

Put everything in a small mixing bowl in the order given. Use a whisk to mix thoroughly. You want to get all of the lumps out and incorporate the milk completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour - two would be better. Serve with corn chips. I picked up the cheapest corn tortilla chips I could find. I think they taste most like the ones served in restaurants.

Enjoy!!

(By the way, I realize this post follows the one about losing weight. I am continuing to lose - whoo hoo!! - and ate this dip in moderation...though I seriously considered giving up dinner and eating this instead!)

"Fat" update

2011-10-06T01:51:00.000-07:00

I gave up the sugar and the flour and the potatoes and the fruit. I have lost 18 pounds, gone down one and a half sizes and feel so much better! I do a Zumba workout twice a week and try to get on the elliptical in my basement as often as I can. (My son is coming this weekend and his last project before he walks out the door will be dragging the "beast" up to the guest room on the second floor so no more excuses.)

I am a long way from my goal but I know that it is attainable and I am determined. That big birthday is just a little over 7 months away and I am going to ROCK 60!

Apples

2011-09-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

My sister and her husband have an orchard on their farm in Potter County. Their apples are totally organic. They don't spray or treat the trees in any way. There is a bumper crop this year. They have only harvested three trees so far (out of about 50) and I received a large basket. My sister is not really sure what kind of apples they have. We suspect that one is Rome and another is Empire. The little green apples are still a mystery. All are delicious and very crisp. I love apples in the fall and do not eat them any other time of the year.

In our family, applesauce is called "Nannysauce" because it is my mother's specialty as far as the grandchildren are concerned. This is the first time I have ever attempted applesauce. I hope my grandchildren will call it "Grammysauce"!

"Treasure" from Goodwill

2011-09-19T05:10:00.000-07:00

I was just in one of our local Goodwill stores and found an entire set of Luminarc crystal stemware.

Please excuse the horrific photo but my living room has very little natural light in the morning!

Each stem had the original Luminarc sticker so it was obvious they were never used. I picked up service for 12 for $24. I don't entertain now as I did in the past but when I do, I will be ready!

I also found a new piece for my soup tureen collection. (I do collect the strangest stuff!)

I cannot find a mark on it so I have no idea how old it is or where it was made. The floral decoration are applied transfer and the painted trim is obviously hand painted. I will tuck this one away until spring and then I will display it on the hutch.

What did you find?

Time to pay the piper

2011-08-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

When I lived in Seattle and was fortunate enough to be able to work from home, I did a really good job of maintaining my weight. I wasn't exactly svelte but I was happy with the way I looked. I have been packing on the pounds since not too long after I moved to Pennsylvania. This has not been a happy move for me and I am an emotional eater. My workplace is a hot bed of snacking and sweets. It seems like someone from our office is always bringing in some kind of tempting food. One day it will be vanilla twists from "market", another day it will be sticky buns, another day is someones birthday and that always means a cake. Sweets in particular call my name in a big way. Added on top of all this was menopause which was not my friend!

Well, today is the day that turns around. I started the South Beach Diet this morning. I figure I will be crabby for about 4 or 5 days until my body gets used to being without sugar. I have a goal and I have a plan. Someone gave me a challenge and I have always been a goal oriented person. Additionally, I have only 9 months before I turn 60 and I want to look GOOD at my birthday extravaganza. (Sisters, if you are reading this I said EXTRAVAGANZA!!)

This will be my breakfast for the rest of the week

It is a crust less quiche with just the foods I can have in phase one of South Beach. I gotta tell you, it is pretty darned good. Thank goodness low carb doesn't mean low flavor!

I heart Macro

2011-07-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

Seems like I never post to this blog unless I am linking to I heart Macro! This weekend I am in Virginia to celebrate my oldest son's 40th birthday. Frankly, I am having trouble trying to figure out how he could be so old while I am still so young!

Yesterday when we were beginning the set up for the big party, I saw this beautiful butterfly on the rosemary bush. I thought "perfect!" for a macro shot. Here it is

Click on the link to see lots of really beautiful photos!

The Cookie Tin

2011-07-17T04:32:00.000-07:00

My grandmother kept cookies in an old English toffee tin. One of my fondest memories is going to Nanny's house and running back to the kitchen to see what was in the tin. Most often there were leb cookies (a large, soft sugar cookie - not to be confused with lebkuchen!) perfect for dunking in a big glass of cold milk. My sister was fortunate to have received the original tin from my grandmother's home. I will admit to being a tad jealous! I found this one at an estate sale about 30 years ago. It wasn't Nanny's but seeing it always reminds me of her.

Linking up to "i heart macro". Follow the button to see what other's found to photograph!

I heart Macro

2011-07-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

Worn wicker

I heart Macro

2011-07-03T05:24:00.000-07:00

Ever since I lived in Normandy Park, Washington I have wanted calla lilies. I finally have one of my own.

Getting closer

2011-07-03T05:20:00.000-07:00

After 16 bags of river rocks, I still have this

The whole gravel filled space is supposed to look like this

Just four more bags (I hope) and it will finally be finished. 20 bags of river rock from Lowe's is still less expensive than a yard of them delivered from our local landscape supplier. I had half a yard of gravel left from my stone delivery so I didn't want to end up with too much river rock as well. Thank goodness my neighbor had a use for the extra gravel!

I also picked up some "scratch and dent" flowers from Lowe's when we went for rocks. The gerbera daisies are in planters and just needed to have the spent flower heads removed and a good watering. I also picked up 4 pots of pink larkspur. I think they will be gorgeous next summer. I love pink in the garden and pale pink will be such eye candy!

The patio...so far

2011-07-01T02:25:00.000-07:00

This was the project last weekend.

My son "re-boxed" the entire section at the back of the house and then built the box for the patio pavers. We filled in everything else with small stones and leveled as much as possible. Our town is built on a series of hills and my property is about two feet higher than my neighbor's. We have a retaining wall between the properties but my yard still slopes significantly. Chad did an excellent job given the situation with the slope. This weekend my younger son is coming and river rock will fill cover the grey stone. Updates after the weekend!

Finally!!

2011-05-30T06:47:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for one of these for MONTHS and finally found it!

I am always so envious of folks that find great stuff at Goodwill. Well, last Thursday was my day!

Here are some from Restoration Hardware.

Other than the fact that mine does not have ball feet under the tray, I think it is pretty close. The glass on mine also has some bubbling and flaws in the glass so it has an "antique" feel. Big difference? I paid $3.97 for my Goodwill find. The short fat one above is on sale for $69 and it is much smaller than the one I found.

I am one happy gal. Now I just have to decide how to fill it!!

Once again, I am linking up to Rhoda's site.

Last week thrifting

2011-05-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

I had a couple of opportunities to stop in at two of our local Goodwill stores last week. I usually have a plan when I go in. Specifically I am looking for hurricane globes for my sister who is collecting them for her daughter's "one day" wedding, a Pfaltzgraff pattern that I am collecting, silver plate items, white ironstone and old serving platters with pink floral borders.

Here's what I found

Photos were taken in the kitchen under the glare of overhead lighting. Ugh!

The white ironstone bowl is not a pattern that I already own so I was excited about that. It is Johnson Brother's and was made in England. It isn't old but I was happy that it wasn't made in China. I don't buy white ironstone unless it is English or American made. The silver box is made of some kind of ratty wood with a horrible grain. For 98 cents - it will do. It still had the original instructions for the placement of the silver. The butter dish is made by Princess House and not a ding or chip. I thought it was delicate and sweet so it came home with me.

Once again there is nothing that a can of spray paint and an antiquing glaze cannot cure.

I think it might need a pretty wooden decal on the top and another coat of glazing but it looks a heck of a lot better than the original wood!

And here it is filled with the silver plate flatware I scored last year for $5. There are not enough slots for the cocktail forks, demitasse spoons and individual butter knives so I piled them in the bottom.

And, yes, I am cheesy and did not paint the inner edges.

What did you find last week? I am linking to Rhoda's blog. Please take a look at all the goodies that folks have found!

After 12 bags of mulch

2011-05-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

this is what the perennial garden looks like this morning.

It's a little gloomy this morning and I really wish I had taken photos yesterday while we still had sun. Yesterday was gorgeous!

I love the dianthus and wish I had moved the darker pink a little further away from the lighter pink. That one is absolutely enormous. I bought these at Lowe's from the "scratch and dent" area last summer. The lawn ornament was the gazing ball that my granddaughter, Emily, and I made last summer....bowling ball, glass chips/mirror blobs and grout.

I love this columbine. Last year when they dried I shook seeds all over the garden. There are about 12 little ones coming up right now.

I wish I could remember the name of this flowering shrub. The branches are kind of floppy and the flowers are lovely. The big, fat bumble bees love it.

I think the salvia blooms are the most incredible shade of purple.

My butterfly bush did not survive the winter. I was really surprised because I thought you couldn't kill those things! I also had a couple of other plants that did not come up so the portion of the garden that is closest to the house is a bit bare. I am waiting for a good perennial sale to fill in some of the blank spaces.

How does your garden look this year?

I heart Macro

2011-05-22T04:47:00.000-07:00

The perennial garden looks beautiful right now so it was easy to find a subject for Lori's site this week.

Thrifting on Saturday

2011-05-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

I got a bit antsy on Saturday and decided to make a quick run to Jubilee, a local thrift store that is run by the Mennonite church to support their prison ministry. I have found lots of goodies there and yesterday was no exception. Sitting on the table of housewares was this ironstone bowl.

The three little marks in the shape of a triangle are from the support unit that held the bowl off the floor of the kiln during firing.

There is a chip in the bottom edge where the glaze has popped off but as long as it doesn't sit in water should not affect the usage of the bowl.

The bowl measures roughly 11" across and is about 4-1/2" high. This is only my second piece of American made ironstone so I had to do a little research. The CC Thompson Pottery Company was located in East Liverpool, Ohio. This mark indicates that the bowl was manufactured between 1867 and 1893. I found one on line (in better condition) that was being offered for sale at $135. Even with the condition issues, I think my bowl was a steal at $5!

I am linking up to

Pop over and check out the wonderful things that others found!

I heart Macro

2011-05-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

I thought I would join in the fun at Studio Waterstone. Click on the button below if you want to submit your macro photos, too!

Chalk Paint

2011-05-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

Want some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint? Screaming Meme is having a giveaway. She is trying to drum up some new followers. If you want to get involved in the giveaway, pop over to her blog and enter the contest. Please tell her I sent you ('cause I want that paint, too!!)

I think I have a problem

2011-02-14T03:04:00.000-08:00

I just purchased another 4 white English ironstone plates.

I now have 5 different patterns of J&G Meakins white ironstone. How many do they make?! At $2.97 for these found at Goodwill, I am willing to keep looking for more.

I am just wondering how I will know when "enough is enough"!!

Is it too late to post Christmas decor photos?!

2011-01-06T02:21:00.000-08:00

Finally getting around to posting some photos of Christmas here at Chez Little Nest. I am horrible about posting to this blog. (Of course, I am not exactly setting the world on fire with my posts to my other blogs!)

First up are some photos of my village. I have more houses that remained in the basement buy I was pretty happy with how these looked this year.

I had the first group on top of my antique steamer trunk and the other was on the dry sink in the dining room.

Next is the hutch. I brought in the HUGE shutters that I found at a yard sale last summer. Originally they were going to be hinged together to make a screen of sorts to hide the laundry area of my kitchen (because I loath seeing it!) When I brought them in they were just too massive and too dark. I put them on either side of the hutch and love them there. After I paint the hutch this summer, I think I will like them even better!

These are a few of my favorite items on the hutch. I love the bears and bring them out every Christmas. I picked up the white bowl when I was thrifting and filled it with old glass ornaments my mother still had from when I was a child.

I FINALLY got the tree up and finished on Christmas Eve day. It stays up until the weekend after Epiphany so I do have lots of opportunity to enjoy it. I took all of these photos on Christmas morning before anyone else was out of bed.

I certainly simplified my decor this year. I had a wreath on the door and candles in the windows but that was it for exterior decor. I usually set up all of my Nativity sets and bring out all of my Holy Family pieces but only put out one Nativity and a couple of small Holy Family sets. For the first time in years, I did not have any holiday decor in the kitchen or the bath. I think being so busy sewing I simply didn't have the time or energy. I don't think anyone missed it because the house still looked "Christmas-sy". (Low lights, lots of candles and the smell of Balsam Fir electric air freshener help a lot!)

The garden's last blooms

2010-10-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

It was very warm today (high 70's) so I began the process of cutting back the perennial garden. I have a few plants that continue to bloom.

The digitalis (foxglove) still looks beautiful.

I also have one echinacea (coneflower) that bloomed very late and is just glorious right now.

I started relocating some plants and also thinned some out. It is supposed to remain unseasonably warm for a few days which will give me the opportunity to finish up before a hard frost. It was nice to be out in the sunshine and doing a little manual labor!

Update

2010-10-19T00:56:00.000-07:00

After pushing an entire bag of this

into the opening and then spraying in this

and then shoving in half a bat of this

my brother was finished....confident the mice could no longer get in and no more cold air in my kitchen!

Alas, apparently a mouse or two was hidden somewhere in the kitchen. I know because Gracie brought one up to me in the studio as a gift. Thankfully, her latest "giftie" was intact and just dead. (I sent Grace back to the kitchen to search for more!)

Project time

2010-10-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

From Google Images

About a week ago I walked into my kitchen for my second cup of morning coffee. As I was walking in, the cat was running out. Imagine my surprise (horror) at finding a partially disemboweled mouse in the middle of the kitchen floor! I did a really good job of not freaking out and screaming like a little girl. I calmly tried to think of how to clean up the mouse and who could I call so I didn't have to do it myself! I kept saying to the cat, "Good job, Gracie. You are such a good mouser." I didn't want her to think she had done something bad. I was so hoping the mouse was a loner...lost from a pack of little mice living happily in the backyard. Sadly, that was just a dream. Two days later Grace left another "gift" for me at the top of the stairs. Again, I told her how proud I was of her and what a good cat she is. That night I didn't sleep very well. I knew the mice had to go and they had to go immediately! I think I have figured out how they are getting in and have enlisted the aid of my brother in sealing their entry point. Today is "shove in the steel wool and squirt insulation day".

Wish me luck...my feet hurt from stamping them to scare off intruders when I walk into the kitchen!

Basket of thrifties!

2010-08-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, I made a trip to the Goodwill near my office. I was just killing time on my lunch break. I found just a few things and I put them all in a free basket to show you.

The wooden tray is teak and it was only $1.97. The white plates (3) are English ironstone by J&G Meakin and were $2.97. They are going to go on the wall above my bed. The wooden picture frame was a whopping 97cents. The silver plate salad fork and spoon on the left (and you can just barely see) are Towle and they were also $1.97.

I painted both the tray and the frame Heirloom White. I haven't decided exactly what else I want to do to the tray but I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to frame!

Grandson Andrew David

Did you find anything good last week? Check out everyone's goodies at Rhoda's!

Shopping at Goodwill

2010-08-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

I was a little depressed on Friday afternoon. I had two choices - go home and eat something "bad" or go shopping. Since I just lost 15lbs (on my way to 40!) and I didn't want to spend too much money, I hit the Goodwill. Here's what I found

See all those price tags? The trims were from Joann's and had been discounted several times before they ended up at Goodwill. The gold and ivory were in a plastic bag together and I paid $ .97 for those. The white fringe was $ .97 by itself but I am not complaining!! I have absolutely no idea what I am going to do with these trims but I know there's a project waiting to happen.

I collect pieces of silver plate that no one else wants (apparently)! This is not an old piece but I liked the shape and size. I will use it on a shelf in the bath to hold hair accessories.

Best thing about thrift shopping? I only spent at total of $3.08, went home in a better mood and didn't eat everything in the 'fridge!

Linking up to

Something I recently noticed

2010-08-15T03:29:00.000-07:00

Have y'all noticed all the trend again toward white/off white/antique white/nearly white walls?

(All images from My Home Ideas.)

Having lived with a realtor who refused any color on walls (based on the premise if you have to sell it is harder to make the sale if the buyer doesn't like the paint color!) I became used to the idea of antique white walls. My house now has all antique white walls. I still want a pale, pale pink in the bath because I love pale, pale pink. The only reason I have not painted the bath is because I hate to paint. For a time, I was going to paint my first floor walls all a delicate shade of sage. Then I thought about what happens when I get tired of that color. And I also looked at all it would entail because I could never do it on my own and I am pretty sure I don't have anyone in my life that loves me enough to paint my entire downstairs area!

I like the idea of bringing color into a room with the furnishings...except that I lean toward colors like ivory and linen. Maybe I still have antique white walls because I like them!

Rain

2010-08-09T01:28:00.000-07:00

(Photo from Google Images)

Mercy! We need rain. I need rain. Tonight I will have to trot approximately 40-5 gallon buckets of water from my kitchen, dump into a 5 gallon watering can and water my garden. If not a drip falls upon the grass I am perfectly happy. The "lawn" really is just a collection of cut weeds. I am sure there is some grass in the mix but mostly I think it is just weedy stuff. Also sitting on the lawn is a pallet stacked with 208 paving stones that are supposed to be the center portion of my patio. My BIL framed out the patio in May, filled it in with dirt and has not been back since. I threw down 6 paving bricks across the dirt to get from my back door to the grass. Upside - I really cannot afford to finish the patio until the fall so I will live with the dirt, stacked pavers and bad grass until then.

When do you put down "Weed and Feed"? Can I do that in the fall and again in the spring and just pray for rain? (Calling in a plumber to add a spigot to the back of the house makes a lot of sense!)

Finished a project!

2010-07-16T09:40:00.001-07:00

Remember this?

Well, here it is all finished!

I deglazed it and primed it with Kilz. I spray painted it with Rustoleum Heirloom White and love the soft ivory color. I nicked around the top and legs a bit to distress it but didn’t want a glaze it. I painted the little brass feet with brass colored latex paint. It is perfect for the space and I am so happy just to have finished something!

I am planning (operative word: “planning”) to re-upholster the chair I bought months and months ago. Amelia asked about it recently and that really did put a bug in my ear! I purchased the canvas drop cloth, have tack strips and staples for my staple gun. I certainly don’t have any excuses not to finish it this weekend!

Anticipation

2010-06-19T03:12:00.000-07:00

The countdown begins!

opens on June 28th in the Lebanon Valley Mall. I have already signed up for the mailing list and email notices. Can you tell how excited I am?

Big weekend!

2010-06-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

Several years ago my sister and brother in law put a huge addition on their home. They hired someone to take up all of the patio paving stones since that portion of the yard was going to be displaced by the addition. They have had about 1000 pavers sitting on pallets in one of the outbuildings and want to get rid of them. They offered them to me. I am in the process of bringing 400 of them to my house...slowly. My other BIL is building a patio for me. Originally it was going to be very small and very different. The patio is now taking on a life of it's own. It will be roughly 10' x 16'. The treated lumber for the surround has been put in place and dirt has been brought in to level the area. Next a couple of yards of "crush & run" and a yard of sand will be put down, tamped and then the pavers will be installed. I am hoping that we will be able to work on it this weekend so that I can use it over the Independence Day weekend. I am really excited about the prospect of having a place to sit with my laptop and coffee in the morning and a glass of wine in the evening. The back of the house gets lovely early morning sun and is totally shaded in the evening.

My daughter-in-law is arriving on Sunday afternoon with my oldest granddaughter. Em will be staying with me for 2 weeks. This is something we do every year and is the highlight of the summer for me. She is 12 now and I don't know how much longer she will want to do this so I am going to enjoy every moment that I can with her. She is signed up for two "camps" - first week is a sewing camp and the second is a cooking camp. She sews pretty well (did a sewing camp also last year) so she is looking forward to making a "flirty skirt" this year. Em also loves to cook (and is an excellent baker!) so cooking camp will also be great fun. I will work at the office in the mornings and then spend the rest of the day with Em. I can hardly wait!

I am going to finish planting the very last of my perennials this weekend and get down 3 more bags of mulch. (I think I am going to put my DIL to work!) That will be it for the garden except for maintenance. It is hard work building a garden from a nasty patch of grass! I think there will be one more "building" year and then I hope to be reasonably satisfied with it. Everything I planted last year came back beautifully with the exception of my bee balm. It looks terrible. I think it has some sort of mildew. Anyone know of a good home remedy for that?

More thrifting

2010-06-13T17:57:00.001-07:00

Last weekend a nearby town was having their community yard sale. The name of the town is Stouchburg and it is a darling little hamlet with some really beautiful homes. My sister’s friend is beginning to collect items for her daughter’s first apartment. She is hoping not to spend too much money so a big yard sale was just the ticket. I really had so much to do at home (and I haven’t cleaned house in weeks) so I thought about backing out…but changed my mind. I am so happy that I did!

I have wanted some antique shutters to hide the laundry area in my kitchen. I have seen some that were priced reasonably but were not as tall as I was hoping to find. At last! I have a pair!! One is right side up and the other is down but aren’t they great?! Chippy old white and green paint. They stand about 6’ tall.

And just because I can’t leave well enough alone, look at the hinges. Can you tell – they make me swoon!!

I am not going to tell you what I paid for them because if I did you would hate me!

I also found a sweet little table that I will use in my dining room. I can’t decide if I am going to refinish or paint. Either way, the “faux” leather tabletop will have to be replaced.

I also found more silver plate flatware. Sorry for the glare off the silver. They really are so beautiful and shined up just like new!

This is the back of my sister’s car. Looks like a pretty successful day, doesn’t it?!!

Once again, I am linking up with Rhonda’s blog, Southern Hospitality.

Thrifting treasures

2010-05-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

I have had incredible luck at yard sales in the past few weeks. The first Saturday in May is a huge community wide yard sale in Wernersville. I have gone for years and always have found some great things.

All the silver flatware in the avocado tray was $5. The hand held vac was $5 and I got the box of attachments at another house for $3. Perfect for vacuuming the carpet on my staircase! The silver gravy boat had never been out of the box. Mine for just $1. The silver plates and other silver plated flatware totalled roughly $8. Not too shabby! I polished all of the flatware in the tray and discovered that it is a complete service for 8 (including seafood forks and parfait spoons) and all the serving pieces. I went on line to do a little research and found several sets for sale. The lowest asking price was ... drum roll please ... $279!

This Saturday was the community yard sale in my parent's neighborhood. I only have photos of the "big score" items

I have been wanting a trunk for the longest time. This one was filthy and had been stored in a barn. The canvas (over wood) was in pretty good shape and all the brasses are intact. The leather straps were in pieces on the front and back and leather handles were missing. In an antique shop, I would have expected to pay anywhere between $65 and $100. I took it home for just $15! Whoo hoo!!

This sweet mahogany table was in rough shape but I was thrilled with the $5 price tag. I have already primed and applied two coats of Heirloom White paint to the table. I need to do a light sanding, one more coat of paint and then a coat of poly and she will move into the living room.

Here is the truck after I scrubbed, rubbed and re-hydrated the wood strapping a bit. I don't want it perfect. I want it to have a bit of beat up charm. I love it in my living room.

Hope you got out there and found some treasures for yourself! I am linking up to Rhoda's blog!

Surprise!

2010-05-01T03:25:00.001-07:00

Finally, a post from me! I am starting to work on projects since it is warm enough to do things outside. There is little I can do during the winter since I keep the house so cold paint takes FOREVER to dry!

Here is one project that I recently completed.

I had white cotton cafe’ style curtains with window blinds in my bedroom. I have had sleep issues for months and finally figured out that the amount of light coming into my room at night was a factor. Out in blog land, everyone is using painter’s canvas drop cloths for curtain, slipcover and upholstery fabric. I thought – what the heck?! - and purchased 2-9’x12’ packages. I washed them twice, rinsed with fabric softener and threw them in the dryer. They came out soft and very workable. I cut 1 panel down the length for each window and only had to do minimal hemming. I am making a quilt for my bed and have a lot of extra fabric for shams, borders, bed skirt, etc. I had originally planned to make drapes with the Chocolat fabric (Moda 3 Sisters) but just used some for the valences and I made a couple of matching shams. I was very pleased working with the canvas fabric and would do it again in a heartbeat! As a side note – because of the positioning of my bed there was no way to get a better shot of the curtains. They go to the floor and because I have such high ceilings, I took advantage of that and positioned the valances as close to the ceiling as I could reach.

Today is the huge yard sale in Wernersville so I am off in search of treasures. Hope you have a great day!!

If I could just retire...

2009-12-09T23:53:00.007-08:00

I could stay at home and get my decorating done! I honestly intended to have all my Christmas decorating done in time for Southern Hospitality's Christmas Home tour. I took the button off my blog because I still have only one thing remotely "Christmasy" in the house. My annual Christmas Tea is next Sunday (the 13th) so it will all have to be done this weekend and I am not looking forward to the 30 trips to the basement.

So, stay tuned. I promise there will be something pretty to see in a few days!

I am an Army brat and I can do ANYTHING!

2009-11-14T14:06:00.000-08:00

That has been my mantra for the day. This morning I moved the deadbolt strike plate at the front door and now my door closes tightly up against the weather stripping. No more drafts! I am one happy woman.

I did have to get out the drill, power screwdriver, regular screwdriver, measuring tape and a pencil. I love tools. Yesterday I cut dowel rods to use to bunk the twin beds in the guest room. I used my power finish sander to just take a little off the rods as they were a little too snug in the holes. To cut the rods I used a little hacksaw only because it was too small a job to bring out the jigsaw.

I covet other people's power tools. It's a character flaw. Don't hate me for it!

Staining wood

2009-10-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

I am attempting to stain one of the pocket doors in my house. It was an unfinished door that I have been trying to ignore. I got out my power sander, sanded it thoroughly, wiped down the dust and started to stain. There are several places where the stain is "taking" in a blotchy manor. Some places are too light and some are too dark. This is not the first time I have stained something so I do have some experience. I just can't figure out what is going wrong. I am going to let it dry for 24 hours and then hit it again just in the spots that are noticeably too light. My fear is that the door may be poplar and it will never take the stain correctly. If I try another coat and it still doesn't work, I am going to just paint the darn thing. That will mean it will need sanding again and a coat of stain blocking primer BEFORE I can paint. I am going to be really cranky if this door ends up having to be painted!

Found it!

2009-10-12T02:24:00.000-07:00

I went shopping this weekend and found the fabric for my kitchen. I wanted something with a "country French" feel to it. Looky!

My kitchen is large enough for the dark print and I love this little chicken vignette. I may need to go to a lighter shade of olive for the paint but with vaulted ceilings and so much light, I think this fabric is perfect. Now, do I do a cafe' style or just use this fabric for the valence and keep off white ones on the bottom? Maybe this on the valence, off white on the bottom with a band of this at the bottom of the curtain? I haven't purchased the fabric yet and I need some help making this decision!

New profile photo

2009-10-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

So - I updated my profile photo. It was time to get real. The other photo was 4 years old, taken in Hawaii and I was tan and very blonde. My son was sitting across the table when he took the shot. He is a pretty decent photographer and I love that photo. Brian referred to it as "Mom's money shot". (I am not exactly sure what that means!) This one is me at 57, hair definitely graying and I now have squinchy lines around my eyes when I smile. I thought I should post one before my face starts sliding down to my chest...

Mama was right!

2009-10-02T02:34:00.001-07:00

You DO get what you paid for. I bought two cans of white paint (one is flat and one is glossy but in this regard it doesn’t make a difference). I paid a dollar for the can on the left and roughly $3 for the can on the right.

I have been trying to paint a couple of small faux pumpkins to go in an arrangement for my dining room table. I have painted them 4 times with the paint on the left which I will now refer to as “Crap Paint” (or CP) from WalMart. I used the Krylon which was left over from another project to paint a larger craft pumpkin. Two coats and it is perfect. With the CP I can still see orange coming through. I tried to put a coat of the Krylon over the CP but it bubbled up so I am guessing they are not compatible. I have 3 cans of CP and I don’t know what to do with them. I guess I can save them for freshening up my white wicker porch chairs next year.

This is what happens when you try to take the “cheap” route. Next time I will just pick up the Rustoleum which I already know I love and use that exclusively. Live and learn. (Why do I seem to learn EVERYTHING the hard way?!)

Life is good!

2009-09-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

I am making a mushroom and onion quesadilla for supper, have a large glass of a very nice cabernet sauvignon in front of me and a new book to read. Nothing in the house is broken. I am one happy gal!

9/11 Remembered

2009-09-11T07:27:00.001-07:00

I was living in Seattle. We were sleeping soundly when the phone rang. He jumped out of bed to answer the phone. He listened for a moment, had a very strange look on his face and then handed me the phone. "It's your mother." I said hello and my mother's first words were "It's bad out here. We are under attack. Turn on the television." I quickly hung up, grabbed a robe and headed downstairs. He had turned on the tv and was sitting in front of it with that same strange look he had when he talked to my mother. We watched, barely comprehending what we were seeing. It was surreal. It was confusing and frightening.

And then we saw the towers fall. The horror took my breath away.

We watched for hours and then he went to the Southcenter Mall as it was reported the Red Cross was there taking donations. Originally he was going to give blood but they said they didn't need that. They needed money. So we gave. And we prayed. It was all we could do.

I am remembering those today who lost their lives and those who lost their loved ones. I continue to pray for our nation and our leaders.

It’s the little things

2009-09-10T02:02:00.001-07:00

I really do not like the vanity, medicine cabinet and light fixture that came with my house. REALLY DO NOT LIKE. I know why he put it in the house. I used to rehab houses in a previous life. I know that the sink/vanity top combo at Home Depot is just a little under $200. I know that the medicine cabinet sells for roughly $40 and the light bar is $30. We put them in several houses because they look decent and are cost effective. (We were not rehabbing houses in high end areas!) The difference is that I always put in the white version where we could. I hate the look of oak. (And I am really sorry if you love it. I just doesn’t work for me.) Anyway, I am taking down the medicine cabinet and putting up a framed mirror as soon as I find one that I like. The light bar is also coming down and I want to put up something pretty more like this

or maybe like this

(I just need a little light to put on my makeup. Not so much light that I feel like a porn star getting ready to film!)

I also want to get a much larger vanity. The bozo that sold me the house told me that the vanity was going to be 48”. I thought that was perfect. I know with that size you usually get a set of drawers which I really like. When I did the walk through, I discovered that he installed a 36” vanity (surely price was the factor as he was starting to get cheap on me!) which leaves an 8” inch gap between vanity and wall and looks stupid. He also installed a basic faucet and drain. No pop up. (Can I you guess how annoyed I was about that?! ) I found a faucet that I liked and purchased it about 6 months ago. It is now installed! I went from this

(Notice the missing cap on the cold water that mysteriously was broken one day?)

to this

I am much happier. I asked my brother to come over and watch me install it just in case I was doing something backwards or weird. Instead, bless his heart, he installed it for me. I love it.

Next bathroom project involves bead board wallpaper and some paint. Stay tuned…

Basement door is up

2009-08-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

It isn't pretty and it doesn't fit properly but the original cellar door is hung. We had to trim part of the railing back with the jig saw and then sanded the threshold. Drywall mud and layers of paint prevented the door from closing. I still need to borrow my father's planer and do a little work on the door edge but at least it is on the hinges. I was pretty excited to have most of the tools that we needed to use. This was the first time I broke out my new sander. I already had one but this came in a set of power tools and has a filter on it to eliminate some of the sanding dust. Very cool.

The best laid plans

2009-08-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

I had wonderful plans for my son this weekend. What I just didn't take into consideration is that since he and his family arrived on Thursday evening and are leaving on Sunday morning, 2 days goes by really quickly! Yesterday we spent our day in Lancaster and Lebanon counties. Today they went to the Crayola Factory in Easton. That is about a 3 hour round trip driving time from my house. It takes about 3 hours to do the activities and see all that there is to see at Crayola. We are having dinner with my parents this evening so I have to cram a lot of Chad chores into about 3 hours. It is raining so the outside projects will not be attempted. I think the faucet in the bathroom has moved to the top of the priority list. Labeling the electric power box will be the only other thing that will get done. I wanted to hang the chandelier in the dining room but I really can do that myself...as soon as we figure out which switch in the panel box controls the fixture! (Silly me - I thought for the house to pass the electrical inspection the panel box would have to be labeled correctly!)

I would have gone to the Crayola Factory with the kids this morning except that I have pulled something in my back trying to wrestle a piece of furniture from the basement to the second floor. I am probably doing major damage to my stomach lining taking the number of ibuprofen tablets that I am but they do help. Now, because I am overcompensating for the pain on the right side of my back, the left side is cramping. Good grief!

What is old shall be made new again…

2009-08-09T04:55:00.001-07:00

Remember the ugly, dirty Queen Anne side chair? This one?

Well, my sister and I made a trade. She needed a chair for her daughter’s apartment and I needed a tall white bookcase for the guest room. My niece asked my sister to decorate the apartment for her. The only thing she requested was “zebra”. Here’s what my sister had done to the chair.

Is this gorgeous or what? (BTW – photo was taken in my sister’s breezeway – not my niece’s apartment!) My sister has an upholstery guy that did it for her since she just didn’t have the time to attempt it herself. She found the fabric on sale at Joann’s and bought enough to do the chair and pillows.

I shoulda kept the chair!!

2009-08-06T11:29:00.001-07:00

Found the VISA receipt in a purse that I wasn't using. I KNEW I still had it...somewhere! We took the unit back to Lowe's and they gave me a refund without any problem. I really was concerned since I had bought it so many months ago. I had to wait for 3 days until the charge reversed and then I picked up another air conditioner - at a savings of 20% off! I am still driving around with it in the back of my car until I can find a man to unload it for me.

I finally painted the brass chandelier with a beautiful green paint called "Italian Olive". The chandelier looks fabulous. As soon as Chad hangs it up for me I will share photos. I wish I had thought to take a "before" photo but when you see it, you will know exactly what it looked like originally. Seems like every builder in that time frame put one in the dining room. It's ok if you live in Colonial Williamsburg or have a very traditional decor but for most of us that isn't the case. I do, however, love it painted.

The kitchen sink was fixed by my friend's husband who also moved the ceiling fan from the guest room to the living room. I have a new faucet for my bathroom that I am saving for my oldest son to install when he comes in a couple of weeks. If I can get him to do that and to hang my chandelier...and put in a dimmer switch...and help me figure out which switches in the breaker box go to which rooms...and build my deck platform...and pull the cement blocks away from the back of the house... (He will NEVER come to visit me again!!)

Oh no!!

2009-07-31T01:14:00.000-07:00

I cannot find my receipt for the air conditioner....anywhere! I used my VISA check card when I picked it up. I know I can get a copy of the transaction off my bank statement but will they take that? I could just scream. I am so good about keeping things like that. I especially kept that receipt since I wasn't installing the unit right away and because it has an Energy Star rating and I know I will be able to take the credit on my income tax for 2009. I have turned this little house upside down. I have looked in all the logical places and some of the weird ones, too...just in case. The only thing I can think of that might explain the receipt going missing is that I cleaned out my desk drawer a couple of weeks ago. You know how you sort papers (trash, file)? Could I have mistakenly put the receipt in the trash file?

Mercy. I could live with the heat myself but I have more company coming and they are used to air conditioning. Not to mention the fact that I have a new air conditioner that doesn't work.

Seems like all I do is whine and complain lately. Sorry for that. I usually have a pretty upbeat attitude. Maybe it's because I am hot...all the time. As if the humidity wasn't enough, the hot flashes are about to kill me. It is only a matter of time until they just find a pile of ashes in my shoes...

When it rains...

2009-07-29T02:49:00.000-07:00

I just need a little something to go right. Seriously. I bought the big air conditioner for my downstairs in May. I finally had it put in the window about 3 weeks ago. It has been unseasonably cool here so I did not need to turn it on until July 25th. Ran fine. I had my parents over for dinner on the 26th. Ran fine. It was hot and humid on Monday, July 27, so I turned it on late in the day. I wandered back outside to the garden. When I re-entered the house, I thought it strange that it didn't feel much cooler so I went over to check the air coming out of the unit. Not refrigerated. As I stood there, the compressor kicked on. Or should I say, it attempted to kick on. It just made a grinding, thumping noise and stopped. So I reset the unit, took the temp up to closer the temperature in the house (thinking it wouldn't have to work so hard) and still the grinding, thumping and cut off continued. I just turned if off. Yesterday I tried again to no avail. My brand new, Frigidaire air conditioner is broken after 2 uses. Thankfully, my son is coming this weekend and he can pull it out of the window for me so we can haul it back to Lowes. If they won't replace it (I realize I bought it 3 months ago!) there will be a foot stomping, blood pressure raising brouhaha going down!

Did I mention I still haven't found a plumber to come by the house to fix my kitchen faucet? I hope my boy can fix it for me!

Another joy of homeownership

2009-07-27T00:09:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I noticed that the kitchen faucet base was doing some shifting when I moved the handle from cold to hot. Tonight the faucet is completely detached from the base. It is a single hole, center mount. I found a plate of some sort and part of a severed washer under the sink. I know the plate anchors the unit but I can't figure out how so I guess I will have to enlist the skills of a plumber. Someone will have to remind me exactly WHY I thought owning my own home would be a good idea. I miss having a landlord!!

No rain

2009-05-25T04:36:00.000-07:00

I made plans to do some more yard work today if it didn't rain. I was really counting on rain! My legs and back are sore from all the work I did on Friday. Not only do I need to find a man with a toolbox (and knows how to use it!), I need a yard boy!!

Projects

2009-05-24T04:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I worked in the yard, in the hot sun, for about 3 hours. When a headache started, I knew I had been out there long enough. Today I will drive over to one of the big box home improvement stores and pick up a couple of bags of top soil and another 3 bags of hardwood mulch. Owning a wheelbarrow would be really helpful at this point but since I don't have a shed yet for that kind of storage (and I am NOT dragging a wheelbarrow up the basement steps!) I transport heavy bags of mulch on a large, flat cardboard box. It isn't pretty but it works.

This morning I wiped off the porch railings and started painting. I just put down the base coat so if it doesn't rain tomorrow I will put on the second coat. I also painted the trim around the back door. Turns out that the jerk that sold me the house didn't paint it. There was only the factory primer coat. I discovered it a couple of weeks ago when I realized that the paint was peeling. So, last night I caulked the nail holes and this morning I sanded, wiped everything down and put on a coat of paint. As with the front porch, I will put on a second coat first thing tomorrow morning depending on the weather.

I have a couple of cans of spray paint waiting for me in the basement. I think I will have a go at painting a couple of things that I will share later.

Hasn't this been just the most interesting post?! Sorry if I bored you with the minutia in my life. Have a wonderful weekend!!

Yard sale goodies

2009-05-14T03:09:00.001-07:00

I love yard sales. Seriously. I never look for them in the newspaper classified ads. I just like to cruise neighborhoods and see what I can find. (I think it is the thrill of the hunt!) As I have mentioned before, I especially like community yard sales. Here are some of the purchases I made a couple of weeks ago -

First up are my vintage linens. I love damask tablecloths and napkins. I have way too many already but cannot pass them up. I am not crazy about fabrics from the 40s and 50s but for $2, I could not pass up this blue beauty.

From Little Nest

These pewter platters were only $3 for the two of them. I think they are really pretty. You cannot tell from the photo but the large one is about 14" long and the small on is roughly 10" long.

From Little Nest

In one neighborhood, it seemed as if everyone was selling the "Colonial" style pretend brass chandeliers. Some wanted as much as $10. I got this one for a dollar. I am going to paint it sort of an antique white and then glaze it with sage green. I think it will look fabulous in my dining room!

From Little Nest

I need lamps and the prices to purchase them new are just more than I want to spend. The tall green one will be painted white for my guest room. The pretty little brass one is in really good shape except for the shade which just isn't my taste. I have some white acrylic craft paint that I am going to use to paint the shade and then I may cover it in fabric. They were each only $2.

From Little Nest

I found this Rowenta iron (and it doesn't leak!) for $2. I don't know why she was getting rid of it but I am excited to own it. It did have some hard water crystallization that was trapped inside but a good cleaning with vinegar took care of that.

From Little Nest

OK - here it is. My big yard sale purchase. I SWEAR it doesn't look like anyone ever sat in it. The retired couple selling had moved from Vermont and downsized into a townhouse. They had a couch, love seat and this recliner. Their new living room is just too small for all of the furniture. It is made by Thomasville and the colors in the fabric are perfect in my living room - pink, yellow, green and off white.

From Little Nest

Now for the price - $40! Whoo hoo!!

Lots of paint projects, yard projects and sewing projects for this weekend. I think I need a clone!!

Back to Garden Spot Furniture

2009-04-26T02:20:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to finally be picking up the buffet I purchased a couple of weeks ago. I just needed a pick up truck and a willing helper! My kitchen doesn't have nearly the amount of storage that I need and this was a heck of a lot cheaper than adding another full bank of cabinets and a countertop. This has a French or Italian feel. All I know is that it is mahogany and made by Drexel. (I know it looks like maple or some kind of fruitwood but it really isn't.) Although I am going to paint it, the finish is in very good shape and looks great with the cabinets in my kitchen. I am going to use it as a baking station. My enormous Kitchenaid mixer fits in the right hand cabinet. I am using one of the drawers for baking supplies and another for baking pans (cake, loaf, muffin, whatever).

From Little Nest

I love the brasses on this

From Little Nest

While I was there I spotted this spool chair. It needs to be recovered but that is a quick and eazy job as soon as I find some time. For $20 I think I got a great deal!

From Little Nest

By the way, this photo was taken in the furniture shop, not my house!

There is a 3 panel wooden folding screen that I have my eye on. It probably won't be there the next time I go but if it is, that baby is coming home with me!

Finally - something to talk about!!

2009-04-23T10:48:00.001-07:00

I found a buffet for my kitchen! Whoo hoo! I am finally going to pick it up this weekend and then I will post a photo. It will be perfect for my baking center. I know I will feel guilty about painting it because it is a solid mahogany piece but I will get over it!

New Project!

2009-02-14T15:05:00.000-08:00

My sister and I went to our favorite old furniture store today. I found this very nice and VERY dirty Queen Anne style side chair for only $29!!

From Little Nest

The wood appears to be cherry and needs to be refinished. The chair fabric is really disgusting. Looks like someone had a very dirty dog!

I have never upholstered anything so this will be a new adventure. Julie and I both have several projects that we are currently doing so this will wait for a few weeks. Later this afternoon we stopped at a great discount fabric place and I found a beautiful pink and white toile for $7 a yard. I don't think it will take more than 3 yards to cover the chair. This will be such fun!

Insulation

2009-01-23T06:14:00.000-08:00

This is probably the first time in my life that I have wanted to rush winter and move into spring as quickly as possible. Last month I received a nearly $300 electric bill. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I immediately called the power company and found out that it was from an actual reading and that it included an extra 5 days. Still...that number was just way too high. I knew I had some draft issues. I just didn't realize how much they were costing me!

My brother has come for two consecutive weekends to do insulating work for me. He is coming again this Sunday to caulk. Apparently the meatball that "flipped" my house did not caulk around windows, baseboards or doors. My brother has shoved insulation everywhere he could reach and then put spray insulation around the sill plate in the basement. All of that has helped. My kitchen floor is very cold so in the spring he is going to put foam board insulation under my floor joists.

I love the look of my pocket door going down to the basement but it will have to be replaced. Way too much cold air gets around the door so right now I have the door pocket space filled with foam caulk filler. I hung an insulated curtain from WalMart over the door so that you can't see how strange the door looks. I used a pretty wrought iron looking rod that matches one that I have a quilt hanging on in the dining room. (The sage green looks so nice that I think I am going to replace my dining room curtains with a set!) My brother is going to hang a "real" door there for me so that there is a seal between cold basement air and warm dining room air.

"Frost King" is my new favorite company!

New magazine

2009-01-09T10:31:00.001-08:00

Maybe I have been living under a rock or something. There is a new magazine at Joann's (and you can use your 40% off coupon)! It's called Junk Beautiful. If you are a junker, check it out. It is sealed in plastic so your cannot peruse it in the store but here is a link to the editor and more information.

More for my wish list

2009-01-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

There are 2 other pieces of furniture I have on my "wish list". One is necessary and the other is on the bottom of the list.

I have an enormous television in my living room. I think it is 32". It is not plasma so it weighs a lot - like 140lbs. (My son hated moving it so much he gave it to me and bought himself the plasma screen unit.) I have it sitting on top of an antique wash stand. It sits in the corner of my living room near one of the heating units. The wash stand periodically makes a cracking sound. I am terrified that the wash stand is going to totally dry out and collapse under the weight of the television so I really need something actually designed to hold up a TV.
I think I want the antique white. I have a lot of mahogany and cherry pieces in the living room. What do you think? I really do like painted pieces.

Here's my "I really could use these but they are not a necessity" itemThese I would like in black since I have cherry and black Hitchcock chairs in the dining room. I have a nice little bar adjacent to the dining room and I would like to use it for quick meals. Right now the bar just serves as a pass through to the kitchen when I am cleaning off the dining room table.

I really need to win the lottery. (Oh, yeah - you have to play to win, right?)

2009 Wish List

2009-01-05T06:36:00.001-08:00

Because I am considered a displaced homemaker, I have the opportunity of receiving the "First Time Homebuyers Credit" with my income tax return this year. It is a nice little chunk of change so I am working on my wish list.

My dryer is pretty inefficient. I think I have two dryer settings that work - High and Fluff. This is on the top of my list There is a matching washer but my washer works great, has a good EnergyStar rating so that will be on my list in 2010 or 2011.

My refrigerator that came with the house is OLD. So old that I think it came from Montgomery Wards and they have been out of business for years! This is what I looking at to replace the fridgeThis one is so big that I won't have to keep running down to the basement to get stuff out of the little fridge down there.

My stove is horrible. It also came with the house and has seen better days. In addition to the cosmetic issues, the oven simply will not come clean and the thermostat doesn't work. It needs a new burner electrical connection on one of the large burners and there are no little knobs on the timer and range setting thingies. I love to bake. I desperately want a convection oven and I want one that is self-cleaning. I WANT this stove!

Last, but not least, I want a new sofa. I want one with a cover that I can pull off and wash. I think IKEA has the best price. I am not in the living room very often but would like something pretty and new. I am tired of hand-me-downs. This is what I am thinking about The sofa will be a "want it" kind of purchase. I may not do it this year but I surely would like it!

Sometimes bigger IS better...

2008-12-31T01:28:00.000-08:00

Y'all know that being a homeowner is a big deal for me. I still get a little weepy when I think about it. (Of course, my children think I get a little weepy about EVERYTHING!)

When asked for gift suggestions this year, I responded that I prefer that people purchase things for me that they think I would like. When pressed, I admitted that I really wanted an 8' step ladder because I have 12' high ceilings and I was tired of having to borrow my dad's extremely heavy ladder. My family also knows that I love shopping at Lowe's and Home Depot. I wander up and down the aisles looking at everything - even things I cannot identify! When I lived in Seattle, we renovated several houses for re-sale (flips). I love working with my hands almost as much as I like quilting!

Well, I am now the proud owner of this

I was almost as excited about bringing this home as I was when I closed on the house. Getting it into the basement was an adventure (Thanks, Chad!) but I think I know how to maneuver it up and down the steps so now I have to decide what project to take on first!

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-25T10:19:00.001-08:00

Homestead?

2008-12-17T11:57:00.000-08:00

I received a form from the county yesterday. Apparently where I live in the county I can apply for "homestead status". I TOLD you I lived in the country! I am just wondering now if this means I can get a goat and raise chickens in the backyard?

At last

2008-12-14T02:54:00.000-08:00

The rain finally stopped so I went out to take some photos. Here is slide show of some of the pictures I took yesterday and last night.

I finally put the last ornament on the tree. The only thing missing is the angel at the top. My son will arrive on December 23rd with his family. He loves the angel and it is one of his Christmas memories. She is not exactly beautiful but she says "Christmas" to him. She is also tied very strongly to my Christmas memories. My parents bought her when we lived in Japan. My mother gave her to me after my children were born so she has been part of my Christmases since I was 4.

I collect Holy Families and Nativities. I have water globes, music boxes, carved pieces, wooden pieces, and more. The one under the tree is the oldest. Baby Jesus will not be placed in the creche until Christmas Eve.

On top of the hutch are two Santa faces painted on gourds. My very talented nephew, Josh, painted them for me. I hope that he will paint more for me.

I will have more photos to post tomorrow. Have a happy Sunday!

Stand by

2008-12-08T12:06:00.000-08:00

I have (mostly) finished my Christmas decorating. There are still a few little things. I am just so happy that I don't have to keep running up and down the basement stairs! There are a few things that I haven't found so my search will continue.

It is so cold here I could not force myself to go outside and take any pics. It is supposed to warm up by Wednesday (with the arrival of rain) and I will take some pictures to post.

You know you live in the country when...

2008-11-28T06:47:00.000-08:00

This morning I opened the front door to look up and down the street. Since the garbage wasn't picked up yesterday and I don't know how holiday schedules work with them, I was checking to see if anyone had their cans at the curb. It was about 6am or so. As I looked directly across the street, I saw a chicken running up the sidewalk.

And THAT is how you know you live in the country!!

First snow day!

2008-11-23T04:21:00.000-08:00

We had some snow on Thursday night. It wasn't a lot but it was still pretty to see coming down. I took this photo of my backyard

From Little Nest

Now you can see how little my yard is!

I drive through farmland on my way to work. I took a few photos of the landscape on my drive. If I had not been moving at the time, I think they would have been much better. Something tells me that the traffic behind me would not have been amused!

From Little Nest

It snowed again yesterday off and on but there was no accumulation. I do love snow and they are predicting much more this year than we have had in the past few years. I say "Let it snow!!"

There's a mouse in my house!

2008-11-10T04:55:00.000-08:00

Most times, for me, the benefits of being single outweigh the negatives. This is not one of those times. I desperately want someone else to take care of this problem! Yesterday when putting away my little George Foreman grill, I discovered something on the shelf that had not been there when I took it out the night before...mouse droppings. In that cabinet, I also have a basket in which I keep things like packages of salad dressing, cocoa mix, marinades, etc. There were little slivers of paper with foil on one side. My mouse apparently craves chocolate. The only packages torn open were two of instant cocoa mix. I cleaned up the mess, took all of my packaged goods out of the cabinet and found new homes for them in upper cabinets. Gracie started sitting at the cabinet door watching and sticking a paw up occasionally between the cabinet bottom and the toe kick. I couldn't decide if I should open the cabinet door and let her handle the problem or not. My kind of luck she would torture the mouse and then bring it up to my bedroom and place it on the bed as an offering. Eeeewwwuuueee!

I am shopping for little mousetraps this afternoon. I don't like the idea of doing this but I am not going to share my home with mice. The next icky thing will be actually catching the mouse and then the disposal. I think I need to have my brother on standby. (This will probably cost me a case of beer!)

A little glimpse of my town

2008-11-07T02:48:00.000-08:00

I walked over to vote on Tuesday. Since I had my camera in my bag, I took a few shots along the way. We have little alley ways behind the houses. They are very narrow and I am sure were better suited to horse and buggy than pickup trucks and SUVs. I want to learn more of the history of the town and more about the buildings. I love how Federal period houses stand next to log houses. I love that there are stone homes from the late 1700s standing next to farm style twin houses that were built in the early 1900s. I am CRAZY about the barns and sheds all along the alleys.

Next time I am out and about, I will take more pictures because there is SO much more to see!

Back to Lowes

2008-10-29T03:07:00.001-07:00

It was crazy windy here yesterday and I made another discovery. I need weather stripping at exterior doors. There was no apparent air movement around my windows (thank goodness) but there was a steady stream of air coming in around the latch side of the front door. That's a pretty simple fix so I know at least one place I will be shopping on Saturday.

I have gotten so much mail since I moved into the house! Coupons, advertisements for everything I could possibly need for a house, refinance offers, etc. And the phone calls! I get calls every day from some mortgage company or the other that wants to help me lower my mortgage payments or from companies that want to sell me insurance to pay off my mortgage in the event that something catastrophic occurs to me. I just keep the answering machine on all the time and scan my calls. Guess I need to re-register on the "Do Not Call" list!

Baseboard heat

2008-10-21T01:23:00.000-07:00

Now that it has gotten to the point where the smoke alarms don't go off every time the heat turns on downstairs, I have learned that I dislike baseboard electric heat for another reason.

Heat on the first floor (where it actually is cold) is rising up the stairwells and heating the rest of the house. Downstairs it continues to be chilly.

I can close the door to the studio so it would not go to the third floor but I am in a quandary as to how to keep some of the heat on the first floor. I HATE the look of ceiling fans but with a 12' ceiling, maybe it wouldn't be too bad if I had one in the living room. At least it would be pushing the heat back to the floor as it circulated up the walls and across the ceiling. Or maybe I could have a small ceiling fan installed at the top of the first stairway...

Anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions?

Home Dec Sewing

2008-10-13T06:38:00.001-07:00

Back in the day, I used to do a lot of clothes sewing and home dec sewing. Now that I quilt, it is just about all that I want to do.

I needed pillows for the wicker chairs on my front porch so I decided to make slipcovers for a couple of old pillows that I wasn't using any longer. I found the absolute perfect fabric at Joann's. It has several shades of red and yellow and somewhere in the mix, the exact color that matches my house siding AND the exact color that matches the trim are found.

From Front Porch

(Doesn't my wicker chair look sad? I need to get some spray paint!)

I looked at a couple of pillow cover tutorials but none had the crisp edging all around the pillow that I was looking for so I kind of "winged" it. Since I really like how they look, I am going to make covers for several pillows on my couch that need a little freshening.

A give away at The Restyled Home!

2008-10-07T06:08:00.000-07:00

There is a lovely give away over at The Restyled Home. Linda is giving away copies of this book and Homestore gift cards!

The author - Matthew Mead

OOOhhhh - eye candy!

Matthew's book looks wonderful! Even if you don't win a copy, you can purchase it at lots of book stores all over the US. Here's a link to his website: http://www.entertainingsimple.com/index.php?option=com_flippingbook&book_id=2&Itemid=1

Check out Linda's blog and see about getting yourself a book or a gift card!

Need some advice...

2008-09-30T02:30:00.000-07:00

When the former owner gutted the first floor of my house, he took out the wall between the living room and dining room. For some totally bizarre reason, he decided to leave the original beam exposed because he thought it was "cool". Well, the exposed beam is driving me crazy mostly because he did such a poor job of trimming it out. My brother wants to put some sort of bead board around it to cover it. I want to box it in with drywall and it will just look like there is an "I" beam in the middle of the room. Thoughts?

Next is the shape of the rooms.

From House photos

I can understand why he took down the wall to open everything up and move light through the space. The problem is that this gives the space a "shotgun" feel and I think it needs something to break up the view going from living room to dining room. Should I put a wall back up with a large opening from LR to DR?...and if I do that tying it to the beam overhead makes the LR & DR the same size. The benefit of the wall would be that I could put my hutch against it making the walking (and sitting space) around the table better. How horrible would a wall of fabric be behind the wing chair? Too Christopher Lowell?

I have looked at decorated shotgun style rooms and nothing looks right to me. I am usually pretty good about picturing something in my mind and then executing the idea but this really has me stumped.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!

The joys of living in "the country"...

2008-09-26T04:56:00.000-07:00

I live in a very small town (population of 2600 in the 2000 census) that was established in 1762. George Washington really DID sleep here! It has many beautiful old homes, narrow streets, barns in the middle of the town, etc. The town is in the midst of farmland...mostly farmed by Mennonite and Amish folk. It is very beautiful and green all around where I live. Why is it so green?

Cows...lots of cows...and lots of cow manure. In the spring and in the fall, the farmers spray the fields with some sort of manure "tea". The smell is pretty horrific. Not as bad as living near the mushroom houses on the other side of the county but pretty smelly nonetheless.

The other day, I noticed a nasty smell in the house. My first thought was the litter box. Then I realized that I recognized the smell. Farmers are spraying. Oh, my goodness! Guess it is too late now to re-think my house purchase!!

Finally - Photos!

2008-09-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

First let me say that my photography is horrible. The "before" photos were taken on Sept. 12th and the "after" were taken last night. I still have things to do but there has been a vast improvement.

I have to update my photo of the outside of the house. I love my little porch! I will do that with my next post.

Well, I was gonna show you pictures...

2008-09-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

Blogger is not cooperating with me tonight. I have some photos of the house...my own little disaster area...but Blogger won't let me upload.

I made huge strides this weekend, however, there is so much more to do. It has been hotter than blue blazes so I took many breaks. Temps are forecast to drop tomorrow so I hope I will manage to get lots done over the next few days. I did hang quilts and other decor on the walls. I am not excited about the furniture arrangement so I am going to consult my personal decorator (sister Julie) and get some input from her.

Sorry about the lack of photos. I also want to update the picture on the sidebar on my blog but until all the boxes are off the front porch, it really looks like Ma and Pa Kettle have moved in!

September 11, 2001

2008-09-11T06:00:00.001-07:00

Just a quick "Whooo hooo!"

2008-08-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

Guess what I just discovered? Free internet access at my house!!! I am about 1 block from the library and they don't have any restrictions on their WIFI access so I am typing on my laptop in my living room. Later I am going to carry my laptop to the studio and see if I have access from there. If I do, I may give some serious thought to dropping my Verizon DSL account.

Back to unpacking...

Notes from the Homeowner!

2008-08-29T09:43:00.001-07:00

It's mine...all mine! My parents met me at the house late yesterday afternoon, we opened a bottle of champagne and started moving stuff into kitchen cupboards.

I have discovered a few things that totally escaped me to this point - there are no RJ11 jacks just RJ45 so that was a surprise. There are no towel bars in the bathroom. There are no door stoppers anywhere which I discovered when I shoved open my bedroom door (little, tiny dent in the wallboard!) I also noticed that the paint job on the trim is pretty shabby so I see some painting in my very near future.

I have enticed my brother into coming over on Sunday to help me hang shelves in the sewing studio. I can do it by myself but it will go so much faster with help. I will also tap into his expertise on a couple of other projects. Thankfully, he is easily tempted with a case of Corona!

Nothing...

2008-08-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't read my other blogs, the news on the house is that I didn't make settlement today. The beam is not sound so the owner is fixing the problem tonight. It will be inspected again tomorrow, the certificate will be signed and I will make settlement at 2pm. My "packing party" is tonight so I am thinking that a glass or two of wine is necessary. ONE MORE DAY!!

Things that make you go "Huh?"

2008-08-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

Two days BEFORE closing, the underwriter requested a structural engineer inspect the beam under the house that had been treated for wood borers. 2 days...

If the engineer finds that there is a problem with the beam supporting the floor joists, I will not close tomorrow. If we don't close by Friday, I will have to pay a months interest on the house when I close AND another month's rent on my apartment.

Guess who isn't happy?

I am NEVER buying another house!

2008-08-19T06:37:00.000-07:00

I am supposed to close a week from tomorrow. I just now found out that I still don't have a loan. The paperwork still hasn't gone to PHFHA. 1 week from tomorrow, people! Does this stuff happen to everyone? It supposedly will take 2 days for the underwriter to review and then it goes to PHFHA...which means they won't get it until NEXT MONDAY!

Everyone keeps telling me to relax...not to worry...rest easy. Oh, good grief!
If it were just that easy I would be doing it!

12 days and counting

2008-08-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

I have a new loan officer. Yes, this late in the game. It's a really long story so I will cut to the bottom line...I LOVE my new loan officer! Everything is good. Everything is a "go"! I honestly am starting to relax.

Now, if I just didn't have to pack!

One decision made

2008-08-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

This is the pendant that I have decided on for the kitchen. One large one like this for the center and then 3 small ones to illuminate the sink and counters. You can't tell from the photo but the glass part of shade is faceted. It has an "old" feel to it without being too country. For the dining room, I have a brass chandelier that I pulled out of my son's trash can. It didn't go with their decor so they replaced it. I don't like the look of the shiny brass so I am going to paint it white and antique it. This should be interesting!

Now the search is on for a Windsor chair for the dining room. I have one antique that has been passed down in the family and I KNOW I can't afford to buy even a good reproduction. I am thinking maybe a pseudo-Windsor chair that come in a honey oak finish that I could paint. Know what I mean?

What I really need is a good yard sale in my area. They do the community yard sales in May and I don't think I want to wait that long!

Finally

2008-08-10T04:25:00.000-07:00

The appraisal for the house is set for tomorrow (Monday). I spoke to my loan officer on Friday and the last thing I have to do before closing is pay my house insurance and send a copy of the receipt to the bank. I know the house is FHA compliant so the only hurdle is the appraisal and I am feeling pretty confident that that will not be an issue.

I am packing boxes like a crazy woman. Why do I have all this stuff?!? I have a file cabinet full of paper that I have not looked at since I left Seattle nearly six years ago. I don't have the time now to sort through everything but that will be a priority after I move. (I have a shredder and I am not afraid to use it!)

When I speak to my sons, they inquire about the packing situation. Yes, boys...I promise it will be done before you get here!

Finally - photos!!

2008-08-06T05:46:00.001-07:00

I finally was able to get into the house and see the finished product! There are lots of things that I am going to have to change...almost immediately after purchasing...however, for the most part, I am pretty happy. The big room with the railing in the slide show is the studio. There are doors leading to storage under the eaves on both sides of the room (hence the little doors!) I think they must not have had any small baseboard heaters in stock since there are huge ones installed everywhere. I am going to have to take those out and put short ones under the windows or my furniture will never fit. There is a shot looking from the living room through the lower floor. In that you can barely see the kitchen chandelier which does not go with the decidedly modern blue pendant lights. I love the carpet. It is a couple of shades of beige/tan and is one of the new short shags. My sister had it installed in her family room about 2 years ago and really likes it. Thankfully, there are ceiling fans in all the rooms upstairs and in the kitchen. Since it doesn't have central air, I am going to try to locate air conditioners in windows that are not "obvious" - like the dining room window, the window in the studio and probably one in the little bedroom in the back of the house. I don't like to see units on the front of a house.

The appraisal will probably be at the end of the week. I hope he likes it!!

It's just one surprise after the other...

2008-08-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I went over to the house on Sunday just to see what had been completed since I last looked. Unfortunately, the seller wasn't there so I had to peer into the windows. The lights in the kitchen are up and I am not happy. The center light is glass and copper and I like it very much. The pendant lights to illuminate the kitchen counters are brushed silver with cobalt blue art glass. Is it just me or IS THIS NOT THE MOST BIZARRE COMBINATION? Good grief! I also could see that the electric baseboard heaters have been installed. I asked specifically where the one in the kitchen would be placed. I was assured there were two small ones that would be under the side windows. Oh no, that's not where they are. There is one large unit centered on the wall between the windows...exactly where my dry sink is supposed to go. I could not see where they are in the dining room or living room. I swear, if they are not under windows in those rooms I will lose my mind! Now I have to hire an electrician to come in, move whatever units are not placed correctly and then get my brother to replace baseboards. I will also have to purchase pendant lights for the kitchen and have those installed.

Warning to all - NEVER buy a house until it is finished unless your contract specifies that changes cannot be made without your permission. Oh, well..it's just money...

It's always something...

2008-08-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

Well, the appraiser went over to look at the house on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the seller has not completed some items that are necessary...like heating! I have an appointment for settlement on August 27th. We absolutely have to settle by the 29th because I do not want to pay an entire month of interest on the house AND make a partial rent payment.

The loan officer told me that there is no reason to believe it won't appraise at the price I offered as the appraiser would have alerted her to that after he looked at the house. That makes me happy but I really won't feel secure until I know all the little stuff has been finished so that I can move in!

I know the seller will be there this weekend so I am going over to take a look myself. I am dying to see the kitchen with all the appliances, cabinets and lighting finally installed!

Welcome

2008-07-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

to my first post on my new blog! I am still in a state of limbo waiting to close on my little house. Closing is set for August 27th at 2pm. I imagine that at 4pm I will be unloading the first of many, many boxes! Thankfully I have two wonderful sons that are coming the weekend following Labor Day to help me move furniture and get everything else out of my apartment.

The thought of packing up all my belongings is daunting, however, I have done it before. Hopefully, this is the last time for a very long time!!