I love the feeling of being home! I truly enjoy being surrounded by the people I love and the things that make me happy. I am passionate about finding joy in my home---which for me has a double meaning. My home is where I find comfort and discover who I am by using my talents and abilities.
I'm an avid thrift store shopper and collector. I love to create, re-purpose, design, re-invent and build all sorts of things.
I am passionate about helping others find the joy in their homes that I do in mine. And I believe that it doesn't take a lot of cash to do it.
"The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create." ---Dieter F. Uchtdorf
You're welcome to copy my ideas.
If one of my ideas has inspired you, I'd love for you to leave me a note so I can enjoy seeing your project.
But please don't copy my photos without first asking my permission.
Thanks!
Now that my table has taken on a new look, I've decided to change up the seating. I have a weakness for anything with cabriole legs so these chairs had to come home with me from the thrift store---even though there were only two.
I gave them coat of gray spray paint
to freshen them up. A little glaze helped to age and bring out the details.Next came some new upholstery that will, hopefully, hide food stains.Now I just need to find a few more chairs to seat my family, but the hunt is part of the fun right?
Years ago, when most of our children were still at home, my husband and I built a beautiful square table. I loved it then but with our family getting smaller I started to yearn for a smaller round table. When I voiced my desire my family rejected the idea of replacing the table that we had built. I was left with only one choice, if I couldn't change the table shape, I could change the existing table style. I stripped off the old finish, painted and re-stained, added a varathane for protection, and then for added protection I added a layer of wax. OH BOY was that a bad choice! The varathane and wax did not play well together and I was left with having to start the process all over again. Yes, at this point I was definitely wishing I had just bought the round table that I wanted, but I wanted to be sensitive to my family's wishes so I did a DO-OVER-DO-OVER.
Strip the finish.First coat of gray stain.Drybrush on walnut stain.Varathane, and finally. . .ENJOY!The third time is a charm!
Last week, on the day before my birthday, I happened upon a delightful find at the thrift store; a set of French paperback books dating back to 1933. I was immediately attracted to their subdued tones, naturally aged pages, and the texture created by the rough-cut edges. Oh, and yes, the fact that the original owner was French and these actually came from France, really made me happy!They were the perfect addition to the newly redecorated shelves in our bedroom.
The last holiday of summer is over and I'm sad that I haven't had much of a chance to enjoy my back patio. I gave it a make-over in the spring. The color scheme has changed a bit over the years. It was once the colors of ketchup and mustard.Then it was decorated with subdued neutrals.I'm really liking the new scheme of black, lime, and turquoise.Luckily I have at least one month left to spend some time relaxing and taking in the last weeks of summer.