T'was the night before Christmas

photo: Holiday Clipart Home Page

My own little special Christmas card. Everyone be blessed and have a good Christmas.

"May your family enjoy a special season filled with love, joy, and peace."

Merry Christmas everyone see you next time......

Merry Christmas and Winter/Spring slipcovers

Hi everyone, First things first Merry Christmas!!!! I hope everyone gets their Christmas wishes. I replaced the Advent candles with a tree under a cloche (yes I got this idea from the Swedish blogs). I love this look, very Swedish, simple and elegant.
So being done all my holiday deeds, I decided to work on a project for spring (I love thinking ahead,also I love projects.). I started working on my spring slipcovers for the family room. I never did seasonal decorating, but Ikea was having a sale (going there is great, but it is like getting a new outfit. You need new shoes and new this and that). So a new white sofa slipcover for my Ikea sofa started the ball rolling. I went to the fabric store excited about my new project, until the white denim I love is now $10.00 a yard. Great for a small project not when you need 15 yards. So I had to think about what to do, after all I wanted white in the family room this year. So back to Ikea, maybe I could make something do????? Going to scratch and dent (you know where that is....), I went though the slipcover bin hoping maybe I could find something. Finally I thought I can use the great fabric there (for two reasons,1. Cheap, 2. The fabric is almost the form of my chair, just needed a little nip and tuck here and there.). So I left Ikea with $50.00 worth of slipcovers. Another reason to make these slipcovers is because my chairs in my family room come from Maine Cottage, and I'm not paying tons of money for new slipcovers. The before pic great slipcover, I have loved it for years. Great for fall/winter.
The after pic, I love this slipcover. Great for spring/summer, I can't wait. I think I did a great job (one down, one to go).
Have a Merry Christmas, and have plenty of cookies, eggnog, and good cheer!!!!
See you next time.

Common beauty and the Great Wall of China

Hi everyone, I'm glad to have more free time, but after the first back to work. Until then I'm going to blog and do other things I put off (like clean my home office, put up crown molding, and sew some spring/summer slipcovers for the family room. I hope I get most of it done).

Anyway I wanted to post about common beauty (I know, let me get my soap box). You ever look at something, a place, an object, or a person and see them in a different light. You say to yourself, "Why didn't I ever notice that before?". Well I did my dishes yesterday morning, I usually do my dishes right away, but I was tired the night before so I just rinsed out my teacups and pots. Then the yesterday morning added in my coffee cups, french press (from Ikea), and all the other things (I will post about that later). So after doing the dishes I looked at the dish rack, I mean really looked at it. With all the different cups and pieces of china and said to myself sometimes the most beautiful things are right next to you...

This inspired me to take some common beauty pics from around the house. Things you never think about as being beautiful, but they are.
This armoire (which I love) has a secret. Being long and narrow, I was conflicted about how to make it work for me. So taking a page from Martha, I decided to have my own "Great Wall of China" and build up.

I added standard shelving, and went to the Container Store for plate stands and here we go my "Great Wall of China". Making the armoire functional as well as it is beautiful. So if it worked on one side why not the other, but instead of china I added all those things that don't have an official home. Here you go.....

All of the silver, napkins, tablecloths, and what nots. This has a common beauty also.

Lastly are the kitchen cabinets (not all of them after all I have to have some secrets). I love to organize. For me this common beauty makes me smile everytime I open these doors. So find your common beauty, look at something in a new way, you may just have a warm moment which makes you smile.

See you all next time.....

The princess and the pea....

Hi everyone. Thank you all for the kind words, I loved it (Thanks Ness for the great comments in your blog) and I will try to get back to everyone over the weekend. Also to everyone that made me one of their favorites, Thank you very much, I hope you continue to enjoy the blog. Wow what a nice welcome to blog land. I will have more time, so I want to blog more, so YAY!!!!

This is my "princess and the pea" room, I call it that because it has that princess feeling I think is so important (at least in one room in every house). The pea part comes in because it is small. I tried to make this my jewel box guest room. All my female guest love this room, especially since it comes with room service (that's right I get up and make coffee or tea in bed for my guest, I like to pamper my guest after all they came to see me. Anyway we always end up laughing and having fun in that room, like an old fashioned pajama party.).

Here is the yummy bed(no the dress doesn't always stay out, I thought it added some interest to the shot). I try to make everything fluffy and mix and match, I love that look.

The nightstand, I found this pair of nightstands at a junk store for $99.00 a piece(I know a bit much, but sometimes you have to go for it). I love the french detailing, but I hated the beat up wood finish. So they got the treatment in a french vanilla color and now they are perfect.

The vanity, because you know every princess needs a vanity. Now this was a deal at $125.00 (I know for this great vanity). It is a little distressed, but we all love that look. I just cleaned her up, lined her drawers and her she lives (love that mirror!!!).

Love this little set, the silver is almost gone on the brush and mirror, but the hair receiver is all bright and shiny.

Who wouldn't want to wake up to this cute little guy.................

And every princess needs a chandelier after all it is fun to look at laying in bed.

And a ballerina chair, it has double ruffles (not really just a table round cover and a sheer seat cover, i know completely impractical, but it still looks pretty.) She is covered in white linen and craved, this is a great chair. Now off to the surprise........

This room has a walk in closet, so I turned it into a dressing room after all every princess needs a dressing room.

Dressers and some goodies (I don't like clutter, sorry I know it looks a little plain. I tend to like quiet details, anyway my guest always have clothes and other things around this room, so I would rather it be about them as the guest.)

Quiet details, I love when space is made, but still has the elements you want.

Finally a princess chair to sit in repose and dress. I have a pair of these, I have been thinking of getting them redone (the fabric is not my style, but I can wait). I made the seat cushion for extra comfort. After all what princess would not want to stay here. I know I would............

See you next time.......

And the winner is.........

Hi everyone. This is a quick post, I just wanted to announce the winner of my giveaway. It is Ness from Marley & Lockyer (go see what Ness has, she makes great pillows and tags. Also she gives great design inspiration, one of my favorite blogs). Congrats Ness and I will contact you shortly. You all know of my love of sheep (trying to say that it is still rainy and dark, if that's not bad enough it is also foggy). Anyway I thought you would enjoy a pic of a cute sheep (I love sheep).
See you next time.....



photo: alerta amarelo

Busy bee

Hi everyone. Sorry it has been a while since my last post, I've been really busy with design boards for a house project (yeah like the ones from HGTVs designers challenge, only mine are better. I have to show in another post.). After my presentation on Thursday I want to have a lot more time to blog over the holidays. Also I get to do the pollyanna this year with my family so lots of phone calls today. I like doing it, but it has been so busy. We started last year because the family is getting so big, and certain members were always complaining about how they gave more than they got. So I decided last year to have a pollyanna, I got mixed results. I didn't even think about it after that. Then the phone call, and another, so I decided to try it again this year (I hope it goes well). No personal pics today, its all dark and rainy(yuck), so I decided to go with a place I would rather be. Just imagine morning coffee or afternoon tea here (beautiful). Oh by the way if anyone is still interested in joining the giveaway, there is still time (midnight EST). Oh no what is that sound, the crack of a whip. OH NO HELP ME!!!!!!!!(just kidding), back to work.
See you all soon.....


photo: restorationhardware.com

My First Giveaway

Hi everyone. Ok this is my first giveaway, but I'm hoping its good. Anyway I was out shopping and saw these great things, so I decided to have a giveaway. The first item is a pair of French style metal (I think iron???) candle holders for block candles. As you can see they have a zinc finish with real rust. They look like they have been around a hundred years (kind of crusty, but really fun looking). I am sure they are new since I bought them with the price tag hanging off them. I am going to say they are not perfect, but I know you guys don't care about that (anyway they are free, and you can't beat that).




The next item is four artichoke shaped jars with lids. I love the look of these pieces (I almost kept them for me). They are new, no damage and they would make great serving pieces. The best part is they are white, you have to love that.

Ok here is the catch...... You have to leave comments (nice ones) to any post in this blog. You have until this coming Sunday (December 13,2009 EST), and here is the best part you can leave as many comments as you want (again be nice), each will count on its own (the more comments, the more chances to win). I will have the drawing on Monday (December 14,2009 EST), and announce the winner soon after that. So tell all your friends (maybe you can both split the prize, if either of you win). Good luck to everyone. Remember I can ship anywhere, so everyone can join in on the fun.
See next time........

Oh Christmas Tree

Hi everyone, I've been busy as usual (I would like to blog more often, I hope I will soon). I managed to get Christmas up and I thought I would share it with you. The tree was done last weekend in my favorite Christmas colors, white and silver. So I took a picture of the whole tree and thought it could look better. So I took pics a small piece at a time, I think it came out much better (Small views of my family room, I'll post more about this room at another time. Besides my crown molding is not up yet, it will be this spring). So enjoy the views......

The pig and the sheep are actually footstools. I love them and I use them at Christmas under the tree. The sheep reminds me of the verse "The lamb of God", I use a lot of sheep this time of year (you'll see). The pig is in my parlor, so she stays. Normally they are in a guest room, but I enjoy looking at them during Christmas, so they come out to visit.

This is my nativity sets, I know more than one. It started out with me buying a make due set. Then I decided to upgrade, but I couldn't get rid of the last set, and you know the rest. Three nativity sets, each is unique, and I love them all.

These are my sheep, real wool and porcelain, I love using them at Christmas. Tying silver bows around their necks, I think they have Christmas attitude. The tinsel tree was bought at the dollar store so the sheep look more pulled together on the tray. The tray was just hanging around so I put it under the sheep and the tree. I like to use as much as I have around the house for the holidays. One it is cheap, two it is fun to dress up familiar items. Even all the ribbon is from past projects.

My metal sheep, I fell in love at first sight with this one. It reminds me of the metal sheep done by Francois-Xavier Lalanne and his wife Claude Lalanne. I saw the their metal sheep in Paris and have loved sheep since then. The rest is history.

Finally my Target snow globe. A friend asked me what I wanted for Christmas last year, I said I always wanted a silver snow globe. They went to Target and got one just for me. Funny story time, they said this was the second snow globe they got me. The first almost made it home and fell in their driveway. Lets just say they were mad. A good friend, they went right back to Target for another. During Christmas we laughed about the the funny Christmas tale.

Well that's Christmas for me. Be good, I don't want to hear about anyone getting coal this year.

See you next time......

P.S. I will be doing a give away real soon, my first so lets make it good. Keep watching.

Now see you next time........

My Sanctuary and getting ready for Advent

Hi everyone, well Thanksgiving is over and it is time for Christmas. First though I wanted to show you the place I call my winter retreat, my front sitting room. No TV is allowed in here, it is my place to think in, my place to listen to music, and my place just to relax and read. We all need a place to just take sanctuary. I had a friend who had the smallest bedroom in her house as her retreat. Her rules on her retreat was no one was allow in her special room. I don't want to be that strict, I enjoy having others with me in my retreat, and sharing the peace.


Collected well loved objects. I truly believe in the Shabby Chic motto, less is more, I do not own anything that is not useful, beautiful, or well loved.

My favorite chair, it is so big and comfortable. I sometimes find myself reading and falling asleep. The throw on the arm is a good thing on cool nights. We all need a place all our own, where we feel "calm and can carry on".

Now on to Advent.....I love the Swedish blogs, especially this time of year. Seeing the different ways Advent candles are displayed. Using that as inspiration I created my own set of Advent candles. I cannot wait to celebrate Advent this year (being Catholic I'm ashamed to say I don't celebrate it that often). I love the white candles instead of the purple and pink. I think it is somewhat traditional using prayer candles. Anyway I will be happily celebrating Advent, thanks to the Swedish blogs.

See you next time......