HAPPY HALLOWEEEN!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Have a safe Halloween. Are you doing anything special tonight?

My hubby and I are going to move our portable fire~pit to the driveway tonight, sit around the fire and pass out candy. The temperature should be just perfect for this. My b-i-l and s-i-l are going to join us while our girls go out begging for candy. Then our neighbors are having a little get-together so we'll certainly stop in.

But, you know what I'm most excited about???? Getting to sleep in an extra hour on Saturday night!!!! Yeaaahhhhh, don't forget to turn your clocks back one-hour!! We all could use that extra hour of zzzzzz's!!

See you in November. . . then we'll all be thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Blessings. . . until next time,

My Vintage Treasure Find!!

Remember two weeks ago when I was driving home from Physical Therapy ~ and my car just turned into a garage sale (which just happened to jump out in front of me)? I picked up this great, vintage, french inspired desk for $15!! Because I must have looked like I was hurting and was probably walking funny (back problems) the elderly couple selling it loaded it for me. Yeah, I know, I felt pretty crummy about that. I didn't ask them, they just did it.

Well, here it is:

Isn't it beautiful? It's missing all of it's handles, except one lovely antique glass one. It's nicked up here and there (click to enlarge) and there is a slight crack across the top middle drawer, and a little beat up on the edging. . . so, it'll be perfect for repairing and painting it black!! This will also go into our bedroom as part of the re-do.

It's pretty cold here now in Michigan so I'm planning on sanding my wonderful find in the driveway (dust) and then moving it to the basement for painting. I hope to sand this Friday and then move it into the basement. Yes, my family will complain about the smell of the oil-based paint for a few days, but we will all survive until the smell dissipates :) .

Then I will be on the look-out for wonderful, new, replacement drawer pulls for this beauty!

And dear friends, whomever your presidential candidate of choice is, please remember to pray for our country's upcoming election. Let's cover this election in prayer and ask that God's Will be done, and not necessarily ours.

Blessings. . . until next time,

Two More Little Do-Dads Complete

Two more (little ~ tiny) Master bedroom projects completed:

I already had this bench, which sat at the foot of our bed. But it needed some updating ~ that was for sure. Off came the cushion and out came the black satin spray paint again. The legs were wooden and stained a light oak. The wrought iron scrolls were already black, so this didn't take much to change. A good two coats of paint to freshen up this baby and we were good to go. I took one of the pillow shams that came with the coverlet set I purchased at Costco and used it to recover this bench. I wasn't planning on using these shams on our bed anyways. Well, I did think about it for a fleeting moment and then remembered my hubby doesn't like too many pillows on our bed. Too hard to make it he says and believe me, if he makes the bed occasionally, I'm all for making it convenient for him to do so :) !!

I then took the little vintage tray that I purchased this summer at a garage sale (for $3), removed the glass, took out the ugly print it housed and sprayed that old beat up wood with satin black spray paint as well. I added some black and beige toile fabric, placed the glass back on and added some trim around the edges. I placed the little black and white toile tea-cup/tea-pot I purchased through Ebay on my tray.

And YES, actually, I will use this tray and have coffee or tea, with a piece of toast and read the Saturday paper. Hubby, oh hubby, "Honey, are you reading this???? I'll take my toast dry and my coffee black!!!!!!"

Blessings. . . until next time,

MAKING PROGRESS!!

Another project off my list :)

See these lamps? They were the standard, old, ugly brass lamps that have been around forever. I was looking for matching lamps for our bedroom re-do, but sure didn't like the price of new ones. So, I picked up these at a garage sale for $1 each. They were in a bad state, but I really liked the shape. They didn't have polarized plugs, so that's how I got them for a dollar. I'm not sure how old that would make them. But, I knew I could take care of that little polarized plug tidbit.

What do you think of them now? I painted them first with the same paint I used for the bedroom walls. Then I antiqued them with an antique wash. Just plain, acrylic paints thinned with water. I used a dark brown for depth. I then used a sponge with the paint I used for our bathroom. I also thinned this mixture with water.

The shades were also a garage sale find this spring. I knew my bedroom re-do was in the near future and figured I could use these with lamps. . . yet to be found. I added this wonderful trim to the dollar shades. Wonderful !!!


You can purchase a complete lamp rewiring kit at Home Depot for around $7. I purchased the kit with the three-way lamp. If you don't need a three-way lamp you can get just the on and off lamp kit for around $6. I removed all the wiring and the socket. Just clip, twist and pull it all out. The instruction are very, very easy. Never mind that I just photographed the instructions upside down for you all. Just follow the easy to follow instructions on the back. It's just a big picture folks with which pieces go with which piece. If I can do it, so can you!!

What do you think of the lamps now? The following photos are the lamps I used in this room before. I have re-purposed them in other areas of our home. And. . . I may just have to have my own garage sale in the spring. It's a little too late in the season now in Michigan, but May will come before we know it!

What a difference a little paint and trim can make.

Blessings, until next time,

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!

I have always wished to have a two-tier pie crust table. Always!!

Look at this little gem I found on Craigslist. I had a birthday a few weeks ago, so I was given a little bit of cash from the parents. I used $60 of it and purchased this little antique pie crust table. Isn't it lovely? I still have to find just the right items to display on this beauty.

See sometimes dreams do come true :)

Blessings. . . until next time,

Well, It's About Time ~ Partial Master Bedroom Reveal

Finally, I can show you a partial of our master bedroom re-do. Because of hurting my back I had to wait for hubby to paint the walls for me and hang things. The stuff I usually do. I still need to fix the ceiling where he doesn't paint as straight as I do ~ connecting the white ceiling to the wall. Shhh, don't tell him :) Then my camera was not allowing me to transfer my photos to my computer. I get a pop-up telling me my connection to my camera has failed and to try again. After 20 attempts, I figured there's just something wrong with the cable and I'll have to investigate further later. I removed the camera chip and loaded it into my youngest daughter's new laptop which has a port for camera chips. Then transferred to the stick and back to my computer. . . whew. Done with that.

So here it is. What do you think? Remember how terrible the bed looked before? I love it now painted black. It's Benjamin Moore, oil paint. I like to use oil when I paint furniture. It's certainly messier, but after sanding you can skip the priming and oil paint gives a very, very hard finish.

It's so hard to photograph black furniture, but I believe if you click on the photos they will enlarge and you'll be able to see the details I added to the sleigh bed.

The walls are Benjamin Moore paint. They are a Khaki color. If anyone is interested in the exact name I'll dig it out for you. I love Benjamin Moore paints. I also love the Benjamin Moore paint store. They will give you large color chips (like 6 x 4) to take home and tape up on your wall for a few days to determine if the color selections will work for you.

I found the coverlet at Costco. It came with pillow shams and a dust ruffle, which I didn't use. I'm tearing apart the pillow shams to recover a bench, which has always been at the end of our bed. You can see Sr. Winston Churchill on the floor at the end of our bed. He's kind of confused because he always sleeps on that bench. He even matches our room now ~ black and Khaki. I may use part of the dust ruffle with the drapery treatments. Never know.

A close-up of the headboard of the bed and the detail I added. I found the comforter at good ole Wally World (Walmart). I've used the comforter folded at the end of the bed with the pillow shams and black bed skirt. I know a lot of girls don't use bed skirts with a sleigh bed. But I do. I just like the look. I think it's more formal than the wooden frame board showing. The comforter is Springmaid and I just love, love, love black and khaki. It's my new fav. scattered with blue/green. We painted our master bedroom bathroom (room to be revealed shortly ~ as soon as I'm back to normal lifting and such) a wonderful shade of green. If you place green with it, it looks green, if you place blue with it, it looks blue. It's called Aganthus Green #472 and it's also by Benjamin Moore. It's the exact shade of the accent pillows on our bed, which I found at T.J. Maxx. The smaller toile pillows I ordered from a seller on Ebay who makes and sells beautiful pillows right here in Michigan.

I'm trying something a little different in this area. I moved down the armoire' and placed my wing back chair here to give a bit of a buffer when you enter the room. Our home is a split level (3 bedrooms up and master on the main floor). Our bedroom is off of the Great Room so I didn't want the bed to stick out and be the first thing seen when glancing into our room. The photo above the chair is a garage sale find $10. The throw, clearance from Marshall's $10. Larger pillow, clearance at T.J.Maxx and the smaller pillow from the Ebay seller. Did I mention I love T.J. Maxx and Marshalls? Well, I do!!

Here's my little thrift table gem that was a whole $24. It was ugly and beat up, remember? But look at it now. I added toile fabric behind the glass doors and now all my books can be hidden.

The wrought iron planter above the bed was a garage sale find too. It was really gaudy I thought before. It was gold leaf and wrought iron. Not what I was looking for. So, I resprayed the entire piece satin black and then repainted the basket section, which is removable, with the same paint I used in our adjoining bathroom. Much, much better now. The pictures on each side of the planter came from T.J. Maxx. The colors are perfect in this room.

I have not shown you the entire bedroom. It's still a work in progress. I have to make drapes and I didn't even show you the wall housing our triple dresser. Our bedroom set was purchased 28 years ago when we first got engaged. It's Thomasville, very excellent quality and was a fortune back then. I doubt I could find the same quality today. So, I'll lovingly call it "vintage." I don't know if it's true or not, but I've been told so much of the furniture produced today is made over-seas where it's cheaper to manufacture. It is then assembled in the U.S. So even though it's certainly more 80's. . . we're keeping it and updating pieces like the headboard/bed. So many of our friends are replacing their bedroom sets because they did not buy quality to begin with. We bought quality a long time ago and it's still beautiful and beautiful to me and I hope to have it for at least another 28 years and beyond.

I moved our jewelry box to the corner (it used to be next to the armoire' prior to moving the armoire' down the wall.) One door leads to the walk-in closet, the other to the master bathroom. The pear above on a fluer de lis shelf was white, but not anymore. It's now painted with the same paint as the bathroom walls. The fluer de lis shelf was also gaudy gold. I sprayed it satin black. Much better now. Both items were on clearance at T.J. Maxx.

Just so you can see. This is one area no man dare to enter yet. What a mess. But, I have big plans for this area too. I'm making drapes and valances. I'm changing out the blinds. I found the most beautiful antique french desk last week for $15 at a garage sale on my way home from physical therapy (the couple loaded it for me). I'm looking forward to painting the desk black as well for this area to the right of our entertainment center ~ in the opposite corner and on an angle in the boxed out window. We purchased this beautiful, Thomasville again, entertainment center two houses ago. We don't need it in this house, but it's too beautiful to part with, so we have our TV in here and I've placed toile on the glass door to hide my storage. Before I used it as a display cabinet, but I don't need to do that anymore. I need places for CD's and my church volunteer files.

Oh yes, please don't e-mail about ruining my furniture painting it black. I don't paint things in good shape. This desk is a mess and would look so much better with wood putty in areas and painted black. . . I'm just telling ya. Also goes for the sleigh bed and the little night stand.

So, here's a little peak for you. I've been busy with physical therapy (which is now feeling wonderful after the initial exam where they bend you like a pretzel to see where you hurt). We are now working on strengthening exercises and I can tell it's really going to help me out a lot. Already when my back is feeling quirky I can do the stretching exercises myself and get relief. Friday my husband is coming with me. They are going to show him the leg stretch they do on me to get my hip back in place. Yes, he is going and I'm not pulling your leg. He's going to pull mine. . . ever . . . so. . . gently. . . I do hope!!!!

I've been working on a few other little projects too. A tray for our bed, recovering the bench for the foot of our bed and two matching lamps that I purchased for $1 a piece at a garage sale. I transformed them with paint. Now, I must rewire them and we're good to go. Rewiring a lamp is easy ladies. Don't be afraid to give it a try. I've rewired lamps, changed out the socket from a one-way to a three-way. Very simple project.

Blessings. . . until next time,

Thank you Jan & Tom's Place!!!

Thank you Jan & Tom!!!!!

While recuperating from my back injury ~ resting in bed! ~ I came across a most delightful blog. It's Jan & Tom's Place. We both live in Michigan too. I found it very coincidental that on the day I was reading Jan's blog she was having a birthday celebration! Jan and I share a very special day ~ our birthdays!! Jan was having a birthday party/tea and invited people to share in her fun. I was all too happy to send her birthday blessings. All people born on October 8th are very special people :) ~ I'm just saying. . . .

Jan was also having a birthday give-a-way for three lucky guest attending her party. What a shock to have received an e-mail from Jan that I was one of the three winning guest!!! Happy Birthday. . . all. . . over. . . again!!


The most wonderful package arrived and I asked our oldest daughter to "capture" each and every moment for me with the camera.

My surprise began with an adorable storage box and matching card. . .

My first and favorite present is a book, "The Secret Place of the Most High" by Clift & Kathleen Richard. I can't wait to start reading this book tonight. What Christian doesn't wish to have a deep intimacy and the closest relationship possible with our Lord and Savior? Teach me all you can Lord and fill me up with your ever present Holy Spirit!!

The presents that Jan sent just kept coming and coming. One delight after another!

Bath salts, a sewing repair kit, tea, candles and a vintage looking picture frame. Perfect for my bedroom redo! I think I'll put Jan's picture in this frame :)

Wow, here's an overall shot of all the lovely, delightful surprises sent by Jan. Go check out her blog. It's wonderful. You'll be glad you did.

Thank you Jan & Tom!!

Blessings. . . until next time,

OOOUUUUCCCCCHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Physical Therapy Begins :)




Well, I started my physical therapy yesterday. I know it has to hurt a lot before it feels better, but wow, I got a whipping! I go back to the torture chamber again tomorrow :)

Blessings until next time,

THANK YOU ~ I'm Feeling Better!!

Thank you to all of my wonderful blogland friends who sent prayers, cards and well wishes my way. I'm feeling so much better now thank you very much!!!

My hubby took me to the doctor again today and I was told that I need to start physical therapy next week 2x a week for 6 weeks. AND ~ today ~ I decided to stopped taking those darn pain meds. that hubby kept giving me (as he was instructed to do at the hospital). I do not like that loopy, light-headed feeling at all. That's not for me. I will take some pain meds. before I go to sleep tonight to help me rest painlessly, but no more during the day time. My doctor told me I could try stopping them if the pain was tolerable. Believe me, I'd rather have a little pain than a loopy, light headed buzz going on. I mean, I like to function properly, know what I mean? Not like, "Oh, whatever, life is but a dream :) "

We do have a wedding to attend tomorrow night and naturally, I was told "no dancing at all" by my doctor :) " That's OK, I'm a lousy dancer anyways!




Since my bedroom is still torn apart (and driving this AAA personality, take charge, creative type absolutely crazy), I cannot post pictures of my new improved bedroom yet. It will be painted this Saturday, if I have to do it myself (just kidding ~ the doctor and hubby said they will roll me if I even think about touching a paint roller right now.) Hubby said he will roll the walls for me Saturday and I will oh, so do my very best not to give my two bits to him while he paints (pray for me folks!) Did I happen to ever mention I'm also a control freak and like to do everything myself? Yeah, another problem of mine.



Anyway, I thought I'd post pictures of our Harvest Decor that I took before my little mishap :) I mean, what fun is a post without pictures anyway? The first few are of the outside of our home ~ Welcome and come on in!


Now that I'm looking at these pictures I realize I've even changed some of these things around a bit since snapping them. Some of the pumpkins are now sitting in urns, some items moved. Oh whatever!! You can get the overall idea. This is a shot of the Great Room.

Close up of the mantle with staggered pumpkins and fall foliage tucked in here and there. Love, love, love those burgundy pumpkins!!

Close up of our sofa table (This is the table I always use to decorate with our holiday decor).

Our little glass block light on the kitchen counter. I think this is sooo cozy with the gold lights inside. Doesn't it just make you want a warm cup of cider?

And finally, our little "Happy Harvest" pumpkin on our kitchen table. The little squirrel is a salt and pepper holder I found at Cracker Barrel a few years back. I think it's so cute. I don't decorate for Halloween, only Harvest/Fall. I'm not into all that celebration of glorifying gore, death, devils, witches, ghosts, etc. That's just my personal feeling. I like to celebrate God's Fall Harvest. I mean, don't get me wrong, I DO give out candy on Halloween LOL!!! I'm not the mean lady in the hood who doesn't turn her lights on or anything :)

I hope and pray that soon I can post our finished bedroom. The walls need painting, the new sleigh bed moved in and the old one out, new decor hung on the walls, drapery made, oh I do hope my back gets back to normal soon. All this to do and not being able to do it is causing me a great deal of FRUSTRATION and ANXIETY!!!!! I like to move, I like to keep active, I live for projects and being and keeping busy. In time, in time, I know.

Blessings. . . until next time,

Bedroom Project Started ~ Interrupted for Hospital Stay!!!

Well, my weekend started out with the very best of intentions!!

I had planned on knocking out the painting of our master bedroom. I finished the master bathroom's painting last week. . . so the next step was our attached bedroom. . . naturally!

Things were going along wonderfully. My hubby helped by taking down the recessed lights and the ceiling fan for me. I cleared off all the dressers, took down all the pictures and patched the holes in the walls.

So far, so good. I was on a roll applying that white ceiling paint, Then I had a "bright" (tongue-in-cheek) idea. If I had to paint the tallest part of this pan ceiling, and I couldn't reach it with the bed in the way (and it was too heavy to move), why not stand on the bed, which was covered with a plastic drop cloth and paint the ceiling with the roller on the extension pole? I stepped from the ladder to the bed and SLIPPED, and almost FELL and CAUGHT myself from falling into the headboard. I jerked and felt a little something snap in my back :)

Oh, I can just work it out I thought. I've done stupid things like this before. So I normally take some Naproxen or Motrin and just keep going. I did.

We finished the ceiling, and had plans for painting the walls on Sunday after church. We stopped, showered, got ready and my husband took me out for my birthday dinner, which is Wednesday the 8th. Hubby travels during the week so we celebrate occasions on the weekends. We traveled about an hour away to the St. Clair River to a very quaint little restaurant called the "St. Clair Inn." The view along the water with the Michigan fall/autumn colors was spectacular and the dinner was wonderful.

We came home, showered and went to bed. I got up (tried to get up I should say) got ready for church and went with my family. I could hardly get into the car my back was hurting so bad. Oh, I'll just work it out as I always do. Sit, stand, sing, greet, sit some more, stand some more. I thought I was going to D I E!!!

I came home from church and got out the heating pad, the ice and tried to lay down. Come on, I always work this out. I decided I needed to take a walk. I went around the block. Pain was shooting down my legs to my knees and I thought I was going to pass-out. Home I came and told hubby to take me to the hospital.

So, that's where I've been for two days. I had a MRI, which shows inflammation in the sacrolites(sp?), the last disc injured and perhaps some infection in this area too was told. So, the physical therapy doctor called for the spine doctor. The physical therapy doctor said I would need to stay for a few more days and take antibiotics intravenously to rid this infection. Oh man tomorrow is our oldest daughter's 21st birthday and Wednesday is mine. GREAT. I didn't want to stay. Thankfully, the spine doctor told me he would take more blood and run more tests and call me tomorrow if I needed to come back. GREAT, GET ME OUT OF HERE!!

So, now I'm home ~ resting in my lovely 1/2 painted bedroom. The ceiling looks great. The walls, not so good yet. After I heal, we'll tackle them. Hubby isn't traveling this week after all. I'm so dopey from all this medication sent home with me; i.e., muscle relaxers, pain medication that I'm rather loopy.

Note to self. . . don't stand on sliding plastic and expect a sure footing with arms extended overhead holding an extension painting pole and roller :)

I may be getting older, but not smarter. . . that's for sure!!

Blessings. . . until next time,

More Corn and Projects I've Been Busy with!!

Or, more like. . . what was I thinking??!! :)

Yeah, I went back and purchased another 2 cases ~ 14 1/2 dozen ears of Michigan bi-color corn, shucked it, cleaned off the silks, blanched it, cut it off of the cob and froze it for winter. I'm DONE. No more corn!! I'm sure we'll all be savoring this wonderful bi-color corn come January around here. . . but for now. . . I don't want to freeze any more!! While cutting the corn off the cob. . . it splatters everywhere. Our youngest daughter was way at the other side of the kitchen at the table doing homework. While I was finishing this project she yelled "Mom, you're hitting me with kernels of corn over here!" Yeah, poor kid. I had an entire kitchen to clean and scrub ~ counters, back splash, floors, the daughter :)

Anyways, I've been a hit and miss blogger lately. This is why: My Projects!!!

I found this little vintage gem at the thrift store last week. I sanded it, primed it and painted it black (my new favorite paint color for furniture) for my master bedroom redo. I'm thinking black toile behind the glass doors (hides my junk that way :) ).

This is the before picture (darn, I need to start getting better about taking pictures before I finish my projects!) of a great little sleigh bed I purchased from Craigslist.com. I love it. It was not in the best shape when I got it. . . but I'm transforming it (see next photo).


This is the beginning of my transformation. This is the foot board. I couldn't get the photo of the head board because no one was home to hold the foot board out of the way for me!!! It's hiding behind the foot board draped with a old white blanket I use to protect things. I found these wonderful wooden appliques at Home Depot and used Liquid Nails to apply.

So far, what do you think? I'll be showing this sleigh bed when it's in our master bedroom. I'm painting our master bedroom this weekend so it should be in there shortly.

And lastly, I picked up this little beauty. Another Craigslist.com find. I'm going to attempt to recover this myself with a black and white toile fabric for my bedroom redo. I love Cindy's blog, http://romantichome.blogspot.com/ and she has inspired to me attempt this myself. I saw what she was doing with a chair and I thought. . . "maybe I can do that too!" Thanks Cindy!!

And lastly, I'm so excited because today at a garage sale I found a router. It was $15. I'm going to attempt to route out the back of moulding to cover our standard, builder bathroom mirror. You know, those little plastic mirror holders that stick out to hold the mirror to the wall? I'm thinking I may be able to route a notch out of the backside of moulding and attached them. Now, if I can just figure out how to use the router and the mitre saw!!!

Blessings. . . until next time (and thanks for stopping in!!),