Black and White and Home all over

Hello again

2010-02-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

It has been quite a while since I have blogged. The school year started and high jacked my life, and then I found out that my body had been high jacked as well. Yep, that's right I have a baby on board. As I've learned in the past week, while trying to catch up on blogs, that I am not the only one. There are lots of ladies who are decorating new nurseries. Yes, isn't that the first thing that comes to your mind when you find out you're having a new little one, "Will it be a boy or a girl? I need to start the nursery." It is mine. I get to decorate two rooms because instead of ditching the office for the nursery the girls are moving in together. They need a new decor to make it their room instead of just S's room.

So I will have plenty of projects to post about, but I know that I won't be able to post like I did during the summer. I'm shooting for one post a week right now. Once I get in a rhythm again maybe I can do more, but I started this blog for postumus reasons. I'm setting myself at a pace that I think I can meet. 'Cuz I have plenty of stuff to blog about. Lord knows I have plenty more projects to do.

So, hello again. I hope I see you around.

Oh, yeah. Here's the boy.

Isn't he cute!

Amanda

Last minute Ah ha's

2009-09-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

These are some of my easy, last minute, quick trash to treasure Ah ha's that metaphorphasized from a need to get something together under the gun.

Quicky #1

I bought this at a garage sale. What it was origionally I have no clue. My plan was to wire it for a lamp, but I never got around to it. We had company coming and I was trying to clean up. I was walking through the kitchen holding this, carrying it out to to the garage, when I spied the paper towel roll sitting on the counter. Our cheap plastic paper towel holder had broken, and not wanting to buy another cheap plastic one I hadn't found one that I liked yet. Ah, ha stroke of genius! Put the paper towels on the thing-a-ma-gig, but it needs some kind of top, a finial if you will.

Then I remembered I had several of these.

Woohoo, a fancy shmancy paper towel holder. About a month later my mother-in-law told me she saw a couple of paper towel holders similar to this one for around $40. Not bad I probably spent 6 bucks total. (not including the paper towel)

Quicky #2

This wooden queen sized headboard was free, left by the people who had lived in the house before us (3 houses ago). We used it for a while plain. Then one day when I was doing some decorating after a trip to the flea market I decided to put this blanket over the headboard to tie into our southwestern theme.

When we moved into our current home the queen sized headboard went into the guest room because we inherited an almost new king size bed from my parents for the master bedroom. It needed a little make over though. I spied this fabric in the guestroom closet at my in-laws house. My m-i-l had ordered this from e-bay for her bed origionally. When it came it was in pieces. The bed skirt cut into 2 pieces and the duvet cover was cut into 2 pieces. The color wasn't was she wanted either, so, into a closet it went, and then it found a home in my guest room. I simply draped it over the headboard and folded the excess behind it.

Here's what she looks like with her cooshy pillows. She's a nice backdrop for a pretty bed isn't she.

Quickie #3

About a month after we moved into our curent home we were having friends over for dinner so I wanted to get the dining room put together presentably finished. There was a brass chandelier with 5 "candle" lights. The wall paper in the dining room is a light blue with shells on it, and I wanted a light airy beachy look. So, I wanted to lighten up the chandelier and make it unique. I added the chic, white shades. I thought about adding crystals, but our firends were coming the next day. I didn't have time to look for crystals, and I wasn't 100% that was the look I wanted. I looked around in my decorating stash and found I had 2 spools of 3/4' white satin ribbon. Hmm, I thought it would add lightness and soften it. So I tried it. It looked good. I added the laurel greenery to add another layer to it, and tied a metal bird ornament to the bottom to add another touch of character. So cute, huh. Oh, and what about the drapery behind the chandelier?

Quicky #4

Same scenario as #3. Our friends are coming in a few hours and I was very unsatisfied with the east wall of the dining room. An entire wall of dark cabinetry was not adding to my light, beachy feel. My solution? I had 10 yards of $.99 a yard white muslin fabric and white thumb tacks. Voila, Mistreatment. (Won't The Nester be proud. I found a way to mistreat without windows). My husband helped me tack the fabric up. The woodwork was evidently hardwood.

I didn't even hem the fabric. I simply cut it into lengths that were about 4 inches longer than the floor to ceiling height so that it would drape a little at the top and pool gently on the floor.

Here's what the mistreatments are covering up. Much needed storage space, very ugly.

There's 4 of my quickie decorating escapades. To tell you the truth that is probably how 75% of of my home gets decorated, only 25% is actually planned.

I'm adding this to Reinvented's Trash To Treasure Tuesday

Thanks for visiting.

Amanda

Room happenings

2009-09-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

We're up to remodeling around here. The front room in our house has been playing the role of storage room but it's being re-cast as the workout room. To get it ready we needed to do a little demo and painting. I decided to mention this to my hubby one day when we were at home together, and I also mentioned that I hoped it wouldn't too difficult to pull the paper down. The next thing I know he's in the front room effortlessly pealing the paper off. He had the room completely stripped within 10 minutes.

I didn't even get a chance to take a picture of the room before he pulled the wallpaper down so I had to take a pic of a wallpaper scrap.

Here's the room minus wall paper...and the carpet's coming up.

Bu-bye carpet.

Here's the hubs pulling up the carpet tacks.

Time to paint. Look at that yummy, creamy paint.

There it is, the painted room. We still need to do the floor and hang some window coverings (because who wants the neighbors to see you working out.)

Well, now to get the exercise out of the garage and in to the house where it might do us some good.

Amanda

One word, Cloche

2009-09-10T17:56:00.000-07:00

I love cloches. Why? Because even the most common place objects look special under glass. When I first started collecting cloches I would watch and watch until I found one that was reasonable enough at a home discount store or a decorating boutique with a sale going on. Big ones, little ones, I ogled them all. So now I have a little collection. Notice I said "little". I'm still ogling the big ones. I'd still like to have a large cloche. Well, maybe one day, but what has really caught my eye lately is creative cloches.

So, a month or so ago I found several items on a trip to a local thrift store that I thought would make great cloches. All of the items I found were candle accessories. And super cheap about a quarter a piece.

Ok, I have really been wanting to display old class rings in a creative way. Don't they look cute under this little cloche?

I thought I would include some of my apothacary jars today also. I love changing the display in my apothacary jars with the seasons. I showed you a little bit of that in this post. The jars are still decorated for summer with sand and shells. I mean lets face it here in Texas we're still in the throws of summer, but next it'll be Halloween. Ooo, I'm excited about that.

Hope you enjoyed my cloches. I'm including these in the Cloche party at A Stroll Through Life. Check out what everyone's doing.

Amanda

I'm making cloches today

2009-09-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

These are glass pieces I posted several weeks back that I bought for a quarter a piece at one of our local resale shops. I thought that I would get them ready to use for the cloche party at A Stroll Through Life on September 11.

Each of these 3 pieces are intended for candles.

I searched through my extra previously used hardware that I have strored in a drawer in the guest room and came up with these pretty knobs. What a shame they were in storage. I used these in my first that I lived in on my home. I loved that little house.

I simply placed the knobs on top and secured them with a little hot glue so that I could easily change them out later if I wanted to.

Or if I could ever figure out how to get the brass piece off the bottom of the door knobs. It looks ok. I'd rather have all clear glass though.

Thanks for stopping by. BTW, I'm adding this to The Shabby Chic Cottage for transformation Thursday.

Amanda

I luv me some fleur-de-lis

2009-09-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

I am a collector. I've had to work hard over the years to not go nuts-o with a collection. I try to do this by sticking to collections of things that I really really love, and now that I have been collection those things for many year I stick to the items of those things that I find absolutely beautiful. I tend to be drawn to things that have more of a graphic quality.

The collection that I want to talk about today is my Fleur-di-lis. I can't explain what it is that draws me to them except their graphic quality, a graphic representation of of a lily. Maybe it's my memory of growing up visiting New Orleans. A city that I found sophisticated and exotic. Maybe my love of all things French influences their draw on me. What ever it is I find them hard to resist when I find them. They adorn my walls.
My fire place screen.

Electrical outlets

They are finials in my kitchen.

They stand sentinal in my garden.

They top bottles

and stand on my mantel.

One has even found it's way into a cloche.

And their simple beauty has crossed over into another one of my collections.

I love their simple beauty, romantic feel, and sculptural quality. Thanks for indulging in one of my obsessions.

Amanda

Woe is me my internet's been wack-e!

2009-09-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

Technology is so great, but sometimes it takes the littlest thing to mess it up. We had a thunderstorm here last Friday evening. Our internet has been out ever since. Finally today we got it going again. Yeah! So what have we been doing around the black and white home this week. Well, not getting any projects done that's for sure.

We've been doing a little reading.

We've had a few fashion shows.

There's been doxie drama.

That's Toby and Marley. Marley is the red and white piebald. We adopted her at the beginning of the summer, and we have really fallen in love with her. She has definately found a home with us, and she feels like the queen. She has taken to patrolling the yard, and if she hears something whether it's in a wood plie or a bag of potting soil she goes after it.

Exhibit A: She tore the bag to shreds. Arrgh, dog.

Of course it was also back to school for the kids and back to work for me. It's gonna be an interesting year. Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post for the Rooster party. I really appreciated it. I was so excited that ya'll liked my poultry friends. I'm sorry I haven't responded to ya'll yet. I'm going to try to get to those this weekend.

Hope everyone had a good start to the school year, and I hope you have a good weekend.

Amanda

Rooster Par-Tay!

2009-08-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

I'm participating in the Rooster party at Bella Vista. Pop over to see everyone's cock-a-doodle-doo. http://barbsgoodlife.blogspot.com/2009/08/show-us-your-rooster-blog-party.html

This one is a really special one, Princess #1 made it.
I hope you enjoyed my roosters and a couple of hens thrown in there.

Amanda

Mad Hatter Tea Party Invitations

2009-08-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

Princess #1 turned 9 in August. School doesn't start until a couple of weeks after her birthday so most families are still entrenched in Summer while preparing for the upcoming school year. In past years we've simply had family parties or done something special for her birthday. This year we really want to have a kid party for her. Since the party will take place after her actual birthday how about a very merry "unbirthday"? Tea anyone?

First order of business: Invitations. What do you make for a Mad Hatter Tea party for an invitation? How about a "mad" hat.

I found a package of brightly patterned cardstock. (50% off at Hobby Lobby!)

Raspberry colored paper, because you have to be able to read the invitation.

12 envelopes in a scrumptuous teal that coordinates with the cardstock.

Various supplies that I already had on hand.

I found a kooky top hat on the internet. It wasn't the size I needed for an invitation so I used the outline of the hat to help me sketch a larger hat.

I traced the outline of the hat onto the cardstock and cut it out. I made a hat band out of a sort of coordinating cardstock and tucked the raspberry paper with the invitation on it behind the hat band to look like the tag that the Mad Hatter has tucked into his hat band. And voila a mad hat invitation.

I'm linking this to Maman Tattoo's $15 project link.

So did I accomplish $15 or under for 12 hand made custom Mad Hat invitations? Here's the break down.

Cardstock (50% off of $19.99): $10

3 pieces of raspberry paper at 29 cents each: $0.87

Envelopes (package of 12): $2.99

Total materials: $13.86

8.25% tax: $1.14

Grand total: an even $15

I could have used plain invitations for less. Or maybe I could have used the plain invitations with the origional hat that I used to help me make my template pasted to the front, but once again I made it complicated.

Thanks for stopping by.

Amanda

PS. I added this to Kimba's ASPTL DIY Thursday link party.

Revisiting old haunts

2009-08-23T20:10:00.001-07:00

Do you ever get out of the habit of visiting or shopping at places that at one point you frequented. A lot. I don't know why I stopped shopping at Big Lots. I guess it's because we moved to a different area, but I haven't shopped at one in probably over 2 years.

The other day I was driving to a store I don't usually shop at and drove past a Big Lots. I thought what the heck. I don't have the kids with me. I'll check it out and see what kind of deals they have going on right now. I remember that they had some good deals on things like picture frames, office supplies, and crafting supplies, but wow, Big Lots has started carrying some high end things.

I loved these building blocks. They'd be great in a more modern decor. Lucky little modern babies, but modern decorators/crafters could use these for some fabulous projects. I'm seeing table tops or maybe a lamp.

Barn stars! How great are these.

I loved this one. The colors and embossed details are so pretty, but at $25 it was a little steep for my budget that day.

I thought this outdoor chaise cover was a great buy at $9. No outdoor sofa covers so I was out of luck there.

Great price for Crocs.

Alright, I thought this was a great buy for a great stool.

These rugs were a great price. $150 for an 11'x13'. I was amazed it really felt like a good quality rug.

I got this black and white queen size quilt set in a bag. I think I'm gonna use the quilt to cover my window seat cushions and use the sham on the window seat as well. For $35 of black and white goodness I think it's great.

I'm adding this to Southern Hospitalities Thrifty Treasures Party.

Amanda

A beautiful accident

2009-08-19T20:16:00.001-07:00

This picture was accidentally drug and dropped into my Picasa pictures and became this beautiful black and white picture with a negative effect. I don't know how it became this, but I thought it was beautiful accident. I thought ya'll would appreciate it because I know that you understand that so many beautiful things come from things we don't plan or at least not exactly as we planned.

I accidentally double clicked on a picture and drug it into a program, and now I have a fabulous, modern picture from ordinary objects. I accidentally broke a piece of my black transferware now maybe I'll create a new black and white mosaic top for a side table in our living room. The secret to handling the accidents is to always see the possibilities. For me it's easier to see the possibilities in decorating than it is in life. A door falls off of a "bird house" cd tower. Well now it can be painted antique white and used in a little girls nursery to hold baby shoes, and the door door can be used as a piece of architectual art work. Now that I can handle it just gets the creative juices flowing, but what if your transmission goes out on your car or a hurricane topples an ancient and huge oak in your back yard? I find it a little harder for me to find the possibilities in those things. That's where I have to trust that God is working, and He will take care of me.

I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,My God, in whom I trust!"Psalm 91:1-3

Lots of projects are in the works around the house. I hope to have those up to show ya'll soon.

Amanda

Trash under glass

2009-08-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

I love apothacary jars! I've eyed these lovely little sweeties for years, and just last year I finally lucked into finding some that I felt were reasonably priced enough for me to spend hard earned money on them. Since then I have found a few more, one here, one there, and my collection keeps growing.

I have several of these beauties scattered throughout my home, but my favorite grouping of them sits atop a pie safe in the dining room. These apothacary jars ended up on the pie safe, because it seemed to be a safer position than grouped in the middle of the dining room table. They would be beautiful on the dining room table, but I had vivid visions of my children pulling the tablecloth from the table along with all of these fragile ladies. So on top of the pie safe they went, and I am so happy they ended up there. It's a position of honor that sits above everything else in the room.

Now the question is what's in my jars? Well, the jars in my dining room change with the holiday or season. During the Christmas holidays they contained glass ball ornaments (of course I forgot to take a picture of that). For Easter I filled them with various colors of Easter basket grass and chocolate bunnies.

Before Valentine's day I needed to fill them quickly. It was late at night. We had guests coming the next day, and I didn't really want to spend any money. So, I went from room to room in my house and collected all things red. Ribbons, pipe cleaners, gift wrap, toys, marbles, and silk flowers if it was red it went in the jars.

So for Summer I was inspired by the dining room itself and my shell collection. Shells, sand, and sea glass set a beachy tone.

Thank you for stopping by to meet these curvy ladies. I'm so excited that Jen at Pear St. Studios hosted a linky party so that we can all see see how everyone fills their jars.

I'm also linking this to Reinvented for Trash to Treasure Tuesday , because I think I've proved that everything's a treasure under glass, even left over gift wrap and pipe cleaners.

Happy blogging.
Amanda

Recycled details

2009-08-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

We all know that it's all about the details. So many of us make sure that even the details in our home lend themselves to the story of our rooms. I mean sometimes a detail is simple and easy so why not go ahead and do it. Right? One of my easy details in kitchens and baths is soap dispensers, but how many times has it happened that I go out and buy a cute soap dispenser, of course the plain plastic ones won't do, and the soap dispenser is broken during use? Or you decide to bite the bullet and spend $15 buck on the oil rubbed bronze, hammered metal number that would just look great in your sophisticated rustic bathroom only to have it corrode after a few weeks of use, I ask you? These little suckers are too expensive to have to replace them often. Then of course there's the fast that alot of them are cheesy and it hard to find one that goes in your room.

Well, here's my solution to spending a fortune on those little details, and it's a green solution too. I use glass bottles and pumps that I already have. The bottles may have previously been water bottles or lotion bottles. They could be from anything as long as they have threaded tops. Just pair the bottle with a pump top that you aren't using anymore. Again it could be from a lotion bottle or a body wash bottle. The trick is to find a pump that fits the bottle you have, and you need to make sure the tube that goes into the bottle is long enough to reach the bottom of the bottle you are using. It's that simple, if you can find the pieces that fit together. You're recycling and you have a unique, elegant soap dispenser that you can taylor to your own design scheme.

Glass lotion bottle and water bottle that dispense soap in my kitchen.

I have not yet updated the new liquid foaming soaps, but if I could find the right bottle I would.

Thanks for visiting. Now head over to Twice Remembered to see what everyone else did for the Make Your Monday party.

Amanda

Move over Elizabeth Arden

2009-08-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

Last Fall we were sprucing up the front of the house for the holiday season, and it became glaringly evident that we needed to repaint the front door.

So off to the store I went to pick out the perfect shade to snazzy up our front door. Red! Definitely red. Here's where the wrinkle in my plan reared it's head. We live in a suburb. Which has a neighborhood association, and I didn't want to wait for color approval. It's just a front door anyway. I mean you could change the color of your front door like you change your nail color right? But our problem was that we wanted a red door and that means primer. Not just any primer, pink primer. So, if I thought I might have trouble with my neighbors when I painted my door red when they see a pink door first they're gonna freak. Hmm, how to get this done without everyone seeing the process. We could errect a tent in front of the front door. No I don't think that will work. Oh, I know I can just wiggle my nose and it'll be done in the blink of an eye. Is that too old school? How about "Reddus Front Doorus." Oh if only. So here's what we did. We painted under cover of darkness with spotlights on the front door in the middle of the night. Yeah, I know crazy, but it looks good doesn't it? I love the red!

That's my front door transformation. I'm adding this to DIY day at A Soft Place to Land and Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage.

Amanda

Birds of a feather

2009-08-12T11:02:00.000-07:00

Why is it that we find birds such a great decorative touch? Is it because of they add a touch of whimsy? Is it because they remind us of freedom and flight? For what ever reason I have a lot of things bird related I'm sharing a few today to participate in the Feathered Friends Party over at The Shabby Chic Cottage.

Here is a little tweety friend that hangs from the chandelier in my dining room. I love the blue design on him. He's so sweet.

This little guy lives in the nest that was abandoned and needed to be removed from a carport. I got this guy in a package of 6 little white birds. They're peppered all over my house now.

I tucked one in with some shells in a candle scape.

Two more have made a nest here.

This little one landed in this raffia nest

These little guys live in a whole little birdie vingette. One made a nest in my candle holder. I guess her felt comfortable since it was sitting next to my red toile plate with the bird in the middle of the plate. I wish I had gotten a better image of the one sitting on the table he has this pretty cut out design on his back.

These guys are a little bit of a funny, at least to me. Their quail so I thought they were Texas' answer to white bird figurines since quail hunting is very popular in Texas. So here is my Texas version of decorating with our feathered friends.

A few found feathers sprinkled around the house.

A lovely little found peacock feather.

I even found a few birds in my girls rooms.

Princess #2 loves her duckies.

Hope you've enjoyed meeting some of my feathered friends.

Amanda

Making Monday a little more organized

2009-08-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

So does anyone else get frustrated with trying to organize little socks, pajamas, and panties? When I'm doing good and I get the laundry done and folded and put away before it gets used out of the basket I try to neatly organize the drawer. Only after 2 or 3 days of the drawer being opened and closed and things pulled out it all shifts around into one big pile. Let's face it, can you actually ever get those little socks organized in the first place?
So here is my solution: Kids shoe boxes

Of course, I kind of wanted to make them look a little prettier. So what did I do? I took some of my scrapbook paper from my mega 180 sheet package that I bought at Hobby Lobby on their 50% off sale. (love those!) Then I Modge Podged it to the box. I wanted the paper to be tidy on the box so I actually cut and folded the paper to fit the box before I started the modge podge process. I basically used the box to eyeball the size of the paper I needed and how I needed to fold it. No rulers and exact measurements here.

Pretty cute for holding socks, huh.

Much tidier. Now the clothes won't slide around when the drawer is opened and closed and become on big ball of cloth.

I only have one done for now. Princess #1 had one of the boxes decorated with paint and My Little Pony stickers so I left that one for now, besides it's in a drawer anyway.

Now I'm over to Twice Remembered to see what everyone else did for the Make Your Monday party.

Amanda

Score!!!

2009-08-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I sort of got hooked on blogs was the thrifty finds and ideas that all of the ladies were sharing. Well, I went out to one of my local thrift shops this past week and came away with some great finds. This is a local thrift shop that supports a charity, and its el primo cheapo! I thought I’d share my jack pot with you today and participate in Rhoda's Thrift store treasures Monday.

Princess #1 is having a Mad Hatter tea party/ very merry un-biirthday themed birthday party this year since her b-day is at the end of the summer, and we’re waiting until after the start of the school year to throw her one. The guests will be both boys and girls so I have been collecting pretty tea cups for the girls and whimsical mugs for the boys to use.
I thought these would work.
I couldn't resist the white rabbit planter to use for a center piece. I think I’m following it right down the rabbit hole.

These are for candles, but I won't be using them that way. I'm thinking cloches!

I got this great stemware. I'm thinking I can use them for table scaping with candles or floating flowers in them. They would be cute for dessert also. Princess #1 has already suggested we use the champagne glasses for New Years.

Look at the detail on the stem. I love it!

I found this silver plated dish. It has "Wallace EPNS 6451N" stamped on the back. From the research I've done on the Net it's not really valuable, but I thought this was a pretty pattern.

A small nick knack display shelf could be useful. I was thinking of panting it white for one of the princesses rooms, but I may use it some where else. Painted though, of course.

2 yards of Waverly black fabric at $.75 a Yard, awesome.

I don’t actually need another dining table, but I could not resist buying this table for the price of $20. I am still doing the happy dance. We’re going to take the top off and make the table narrower so that it could be use for a buffet or a sofa table.

I mean look at those legs! Gorgeous!

Total cost of all of my finds including that $20 table with the stunning legs: $28.92 cents

I'll bet you thought I was done. Well, I'm not. I was taking the kids to their respective summer programs and low and behold around the corner from my house someone is cleaning out their garage. I spied these magnificent treasures at the curb side. Yeah, I did it. I dug through the trash in my own neighborhood.

Look at this chair, talk about patina. Cost?: $O

What about this cute little stool. All it needs is to have the seat woven. How much was this? That's right ZERO moolah.

Hmmm, what can I do with this? Oh the possibilities, and oh yeah free-ee.

I think these former table legs may grace my kitchen window as a part of a window treatment or mistreatment as the Nester would say. And again I paid nothin'!

Oh so many possibilities for these table legs. Anyone have any suggestions about how I should use these that I got for free, free, free-ee?

Oh and I can't leave out this cute wooden wall shelf, that I paid nothin' for. (Sorry about being obnoxious, but I just get so excited about getting such great finds for free-ee.)

I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else got this week. Hope ya'll scored big!

Amanda

A family tradition means decorating for free

2009-08-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

My family loves to spend time together outside. We enjoy trekking through the woods, walking on the beach, and bushwhacking through the brush. My husband and I both work so our excursions outside are a special time for us. Consequently my kids have quickly learned to find beauty in nature. It has become our habit to pick up treasures when we find them. It's like a treasure hunt and when we find something it's exciting.

We had been collecting items for a couple of years without a place to put them until we found the perfect item to display them on in my M-i-L's garage. There in the back corner of the garage was a wooden shelf with 48 compartments. Score! My M-i-l was happy to get it out of her garage, and we had a place to display our treasures and memories.

We pick up sand from different beaches we visit, feathers we find, pieces of driftwood, rocks, and shells.

One of our favorite things in the shark tooth we found on the beach ourselves.

More favorites are our fossils

There is also the sand and rock that we picked up on a trip to Washington State.

The only problems is the the shelf is getting full and my kids are young. I'm gonna run out of space. Happy collecting.

Amanda

An Outdoor Chandelier

2009-08-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Today I'm joining Kimba atASPTL for her DIY day link party.

Back in April we found this tractor wheel at the AntiqueWeekend in Warrenton, TX (my heart's beating faster just thinking about the one coming up in October).

I immediately knew where I wanted to put it. We've needed better lighting on our back porch and I've had boxes of lights sitting in my laundry room for a year. I wrapped the wheel with Christmas lights first then added another layer of small globe lights. My wonderful hubby wired it to the light switch and helped my hang it from the porch awning with chain.

I looovveee it! We've had so much fun sitting out underneath the light and just talk or watch the kids play.

I think it's such an neat repurpose. I can't wait for it to cool off here so that we can spend time out on the porch again.

Amanda

*I'm adding this post to Twice Remembered's Make Your Monday party.

Hangin' with the Family

2009-08-05T06:11:00.000-07:00

While visiting family I’m working on a project for Princess #1’s room. I haven’t gotten it finished yet so I thought I would share some random pictures that we’ve take over the past couple of days.

We spied this nest about an outdoor light. It’s been abandoned because the area is in the carport and is disturbed often. I climbed up on a ladder and took this picture, but we took it down because it needed to be removed. There were 5 eggs the bird had left in the nest. Hopefully the bird will be wiser in choosing a location for the nest next time.

We hung out at the grandparents and had homemade ice cream. I thought it was so beautiful in this blue chippy bowl with the silver spoon.

We ventured into some of the near by towns. We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant that had some pretty décor.

The princesses just had to pose on this bench outside of the resteraunt.

My M-i-l took us to her favorite nursery. This place had some really interesting plants.

The princesses made friends with a parrot at the nursery.

Fresh bails of hay.

A little more ice cream, it is summer after all.

I’ll get back to decorating my house…soon. Hope everyone’s having a fun summer.

Amanda

Psst, We get to go to church tomorrow.

2009-08-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

Join me in a fun little tangent that my daughter took me on today.

This morning my family and I made the pilgrimage to DH's parents house to spend a few days visiting. As we were driving I heard princess #1 lean over to princess #2 and whisper, "we get to go to church tomorrow." Of all of the things for her to whisper and be excited about. Well, ain't that something.

It warms my heart that she gets so excited about going to worship our Lord. It also makes me a little sad. We moved to the area we now live in about a year ago. We only moved across town but if you are at all familiar with Houston you know the term "urban sprawl" is an understatement. We loved our previous church but we have moved across Houston and desire to be apart of a church in the community we live. We have visited numerous churches and we just can't seem to find a home. We're searching again and are hopeful that the Lord has prepaired that special place just for us. But in the mean time let the angels rejoice that a little soul has found a place in her heart for Christ.

Do your little dear touch your heart that way?

Thanks for joining me.

Amanda

Treasures of Time

2009-07-31T12:44:00.000-07:00

When I saw that Marie from Emma Calls Me Mama was hosting an Heirloom Party I was so excited. I have been given several pieces of furniture by my mother and mother-in-law. I love each and every piece. My mother-in-law has given me two pieces that were used in her home for many years: a coffee table that belonged to her mother, as well as a dining room set, that includes a gated table that I just adore, that belonged to my husband's paternal grandparents.

I have seen pictures of the dining table over flowing with family while it still sat in my husbands grandparent's home. If I had to guess I would say that at least a hundred people have sat around that table in its existence. Think of all of those family dinners, Bible studies, and all night Nerts tournaments that that table has seen. I love to think that one day each of these pieces will find a new home in one of my daughter's houses. I think I'll love sitting at that table then just for the fact that they will be serving me. (A thought I need to keep in mind while packing lunch boxes this school year.)

The pieces I really want to tell you about today are two cabinets that I have gotten from my parents. When I was a little girl I had a yellow wardrobe in my room that my parents called a shif-a-robe. It's not the highest quality piece of furniture, but for a child it serves it's purpose. And it's a sweet child size wardrobe. The yellow has survived since I was a child. When we resurrected it from my parents garage to use in the elder princesses room I decided that it needed a little updating and added the ball feet on the bottom. Just the idea that a piece of furniture that I used in my room as a child is now in my daughter's room makes me smile.

Sydney's yellow shif-a-robe

The other cabinet that my parents have given me is a pie safe that was used in my great-grandparents farm house in East Texas. My father tells me he remembers the pie safe from visits to his grandparents house; though, I have to admit I can't place where it stood in the house from my own memory. Well the house is falling down, but this little beauty still stands in stands in service of our family after a century of use.

The pie safe now stands in princess #2's bedroom.

While taking pictures of the green pie safe I was reminded of one more heirloom that love. The bassinet that sits on top of the green pie safe has held 3 generations of my families babies (my father, myself, and both of my children.)

I hope you have enjoyed the trip through my memories and my house. I'd love to here from you and to find out what you think.

Amanda

An Open and Shut Case

2009-07-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

Cheesey title I know, but I couldn't help it. This post is inspired by Mellisa at the Inspired Room as part of her impromtu Linky party.

I love these shutters! I got them for $10 a piece at my favorite junking place in Houston, Double Decker Antiques, and I do mean junk. The term "Antiques" is used loosley (very loosely), but it's always a source of great materials for creating.

In our previous home I flanked the TV armoire with the pair of shutters to hide some monster speakers my husband had hooked up to the television in our living room. Luckily my husband decided to get rid of the speakers when me moved to our new home.

Where did the shutters end up after we moved? Well one is hiding an opening to DH's closet that needs to be re-framed. The other found it's way to the guest room.

I love it dressed up with the frames and the accessories on the little accent table. (Note to self: hang drapes in the guest room.)

....and what's hidden behind that shutter now?

Why the ironing board and the bamboo blinds that need to be hung in the guest room as well. Gotta love decor that conceals clutter.

An Inaugural Post

2009-07-27T22:04:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I'm brand spankin' new to blogland. Until recently blogs have been a mystery to me. Why would the average person blog? What do they blog about? Where in blogland can you find a good cup of coffee? Or a great random object with beautiful patina for that matter?

I recently dicovered a blog on accident while looking for something to help me execute a window treatment. The blog I found didn't have what I needed, but it looked interesting so I filed it for later and moved on. When I went back and looked more closely at what I had found a whole new world opened to me. I followed that blog for a while then I realized it led me to another blog which led me to another and another and another. Holy hot tamales, I had hit the mother load. It was like a decorating magazine super charged. (I confess I love me some decorating magazines.) The blogs that I have reviewed so far have been an immense source of inspiration for me and a shot in the creative rear-end.

When I mentioned to my husband that I was thinking about starting a blog he looked at me with a puzzled expression and asked why on earth would I want to do that. I thought I had a brilliant idea that would motivate me to complete some of those unfinished projects...rooms... garden...house... If you get my meaning. Now the hubs is usually my biggest supporter in everything I do no matter how out there it is, but this time he thinks that a blog will just take time away from the things I think it will motivate me to finish. Well, we will see. I hope he's wrong, and if he is I think he'll happy about it.

We moved into our current home about a year ago, but this house is not new to me. We now live in the house I grew up in. My parents moved away, but didn't sell the house. When we reached the decision that we wanted to put our daughter in private school, but didn't see how we could afford to do it on 2 public servant salaries my parents graciously allowed us to move into the house I grew up in and make it our home.

That brings us to my goal of this blog. As I have already mentioned I'm hoping that I will be motivated to get the lead out and finish some of those creative ideas I have floating around in my head. (I seriously can see the whole house done in my head.) This blog will also document the journey of my family making this house that is oh so familiar and comfortable to me into our home, and of course there will probably be some random tangents of the adventures of our lives along the way.

So, I hope you'll join me on this journey, and bear with me as I learn the ins and outs of blogging and try to turn the creative into the tangible to make our home beautiful.

Are you wonder which blog it was that I first stumbled onto? It was livingwithlindsay.com. Still one of my favorites.