Looking for Spring

It's the time of year when I start to look for Spring and unfortunately, where I live, it's buried under several feet of snow. The logical thing to do is to find a beach in Mexico, a comfy chair, a hardcover copy of Wuthering Heights, and at various intervals stand up, click red high heels together and say, "I don't want to go back home, I don't want to go back home, I don't want to go back home". 

  

Mexico, comfy chair, book...all realized, and wonderful. The clicking of high heels... apparently does not work without a fairy godmother, so back home I go. 

Once back home, I again looked for Spring.

This time I found it in the summer grass of a photograph of  dd,   

     

a milk glass pedestal with seashells,

 a glass vase filled with treasures of the ocean,

 a starfish accompanied by tarnished silver,

 and speckled blue eggs in a white birdcage.

I guess Spring can be found, if we look really hard.

It's not too early to display some of those items that help you "feel" like it's Spring. Do you remember where they're stored? If not, remember, you can always search for Spring on http://www.etsy.com/

PS: Thought you might ejoy seeing a couple of pictures of a wedding reception being set up on the beach. After dark, the torches and lanterns were lit. It was a gorgeous sight.

Blessings,

Ele

Sheer Goodness

For those of you that were following my dining room redo and gave me suggestions on the curtains/drapes, thank you! As always, your suggestions were wonderful. 

I shopped, and shopped, and shopped because I refused to sew these window treatments, and time was running out until my mother's birthday party.  My problem is that I usually get frustrated with what's out there and end up spending way more money on fabric then I should, (nice fabric can be really expensive and I don't live by a good discount store, so sewing items actually costs more....but you get what you want, so there's a trade off).

Not. Sewing. This. Time.

The first choice (in my head) for window treatments was to find a silk or faux silk in exactly the same color blue as athe walls. Obviously this wasn't going to happen. Then I moved to white silk and I couldn't find any that I thought was 

1. the right size
2. worth the money (in my opinion, cause sometimes I'm cheap like that)

I was on the hunt. You might have seen me looking at the sale end caps or strolling for hours down the curtain aisles. I actually ran into a store once without makeup. Oh the shame. Desperation. I checked out the fabric store, but MADE myself leave, (I bought a diet coke and a candy bar and sat in my car until my heart quit racing- you fabric lovers KNOW what I mean). Must. Not. Sew. Not. Enough. Time. Think. Thrifty. Of course, I also searched online. 

Finally, Score

Crisp, snow white, crinkled, sheer, fresh, economical, flowing sheers are in my opinion a good choice. 

The formal dining room looks into the sunroom. I like that the view is not obstructed.  

 

I decided to use white wooden rods. The rods did not come in the size I needed, so I had Mr. Pink Heaven cut them to size. Since he's busy farming, I used my cordless screwdirver and slapped them up all by myself, (patience to wait for help when decorating is not my strong suit), and then, to these sleek white glossy drapery rods, I added some sheer goodness.

without sheers

with (notice the poofs are still up)

You like?

Look for those blessings today. Hope you have many.

Ele

As Blue as the Sky

"Hello Table, you're looking blue today, but I must say it looks good on you. Did a piece of sky fall on you and douse you with it's magnificent blueness?"

"Oh chair, you must have walked through the flower garden. You are kissed with blossoms."

"I must say, you two look good together. It was almost as if you were made for each other."

An Inexpensive Project With a Great Look
CRAFT TIP: Give 2nd hand furniture new life with spray paint. Furniture can be acquired for a song at thrift stores/rummage sales. You might even have a willing participant in your garage. If your piece is raw or stained wood and you want the piece to last awhile, first spray on a coat of Kilz spray paint. This will keep knots from bleeding through the paint. My little table had already been painted, so a coat of Gloss Sky Blue was all it needed. I masked off the legs and they were spray painted black.
A great feature of this table is that it comes with a tray-like top. My plan is to have a piece of glass cut that will fit on top of the groove, (see close up of picture below). I can put pictures on the top of the table and place the glass tray on top. Any other ideas?

I also gave my patio furniture, (eeeeek) a well needed fresh coat of paint.

Looks much better.
For this project, I used hammered paint. It gives the metal patio furniture a textured look that I like.
Remember when using spray paint, use fast even strokes. If you stay in one spot too long, you will end up with runs and drips.

Blessings, Ele

Dining Room Update

Dining room makeover (almost) complete.

If you want to see what the formal dining room looked like before go here. I really did like the room before. I just felt a change was needed, and wanted it to coordinate with my sitting room here, (scroll down).

The items in my home are my treasures. My treasures are vintage, antique, almost new, and may only be beautiful to me, but they each have their own story.

When I redecorate, I incorporate my "treasures" into the design. Do you do this? Do you have things you LOVE and just have to make them part of the design, or do you start totally new? I can't start new. It's not me. Read on, and I'll share.

My seashells...

...fill the base of a very large glass vase. A reminder of wonderful vacations with Mr. Pink Heaven, and my children. Laughter, relaxation, love, and warmth are inside this vase.

The walls have been painted a soothing pale shade of blue and new white flowers top off the seashells. I reupholstered the chair backs in the same fabric as the sitting room couch. I actually haven't recovered the seat cushions yet. Because I like to mix and match, I am looking for a darker blue in the same hue as the walls. What to you think?

The antique chandelier (70 years old) from my husband's grandmother's living room. The stories of his childhood, hang from our dining room's ceiling.

A new mirrored dresser graces the corner, (yes, I said new), and a vintage picture gets a new coat of white paint.

On top of the dresser, I have displayed a Swedish Art Glass heart vase from someone I "heart", my favorite teapot, (picked out by my pink girl), and faux cuppies made by Shannon of Paint Mine Pink. Don't you love the reflection? Isn't the mirror with silver trim a great look against the blue?

More of my treasures include...

...vintage china plates from three grandmothers, a plate from the church where Mr. Pink Heaven and I were married (27 years ago), a few plates from friends, and a plate from the church I attended as a child, with my grandmother.

Remember the inspiration picture?

It received a fresh coat of white paint, (the original pic I took is a little washed out....geez!).

A new table runner with white embroidery brings in a little texture.

Vintage teacups.....

...that once belonged to two of my great aunts. They were Norwegian immigrants who homesteaded on the Midwestern prairie. I'm sure the teacups can tell many stories. Another treasure, a coffee pot painted by my husband's great aunt.

Three generations of vintage plates on my wall. A plate from my mother's first set of plates, a plate from my grandmother's dishes, and another from my great grandmother. Can you hear the families gathering around the table? Children laughing? Families praying? My great grandmother had 13 children. It's a miracle the bottom plate, which is hers, survived.

Now, I said my formal dining room was almost done. Besides the bottom chair cushions, I also need to sew drapes, curtains, and/or valances. I'm not sure what I want. Any suggestions? Take a look at the windows.

I really don't need to cover the windows, as I live out in the country. It doesn't matter to me if the cows look in, ha! The window on the left side of the room looks into the sun room. I'm sure there are many great ideas out there. Help me out!

Happy Mothers Day!

Blessings to all of you,

Ele

Spring Redecor

A little Spring

in my kitchen. A yellow potted plant from my son's girlfriend brings in the sunshine. Finally, I can see out my kitchen window, unlike a couple of weeks ago, here.

I took the plunge and started redecorating the formal dining room. Because of the dark raspberry, painting primer is the first step.

What is the final paint plan, you ask? I wasn't sure when I started painting.

Here's the scoop-

I want the dining room to coordinate with the sitting room below.

I do not "shop" for inspiration in a store.

I happen upon inspiration. I stumble into inspiration at flea markets, auctions, or (my favorite) gifts, (like the silver tea set in the picture above).

I'd like the dining room to coordinate with this picture that I found at an auction a few years ago.

I'd also like to bring in textures and shades of shells I found in the Caribbean.

Along with the shells and silver, I have added the soft blue from the sitting room. I also decided upon a taupe color. Which walls, what color? Fabric? Recovering chairs? Drapes? Any ideas ladies? Those decisions will come later. For now....

back to painting primer.

Blessings, Ele

Fleurs en Bleu

Looking out my farm house kitchen window, this is what I see.

My vintage church studio building surrounded and covered with snow. It is looking pretty lonely as my visits this time of year are few. I am still cleaning, and organizing my house.

It is cold outside, but the sun shines brightly. The air is fresh and crisp. Despite the beauty of winter, it is this time of year that I begin to hold on to the promise of spring blooms. I am well aware of designers who are shouting, "get rid of the silk flowers", but I wonder.....do they live where I live? Do they KNOW that the upper mid west growing season is extremely short? Do they realize that some of us yearn for blooms. Dare I say....even fake? Every year, I promise myself that I will not succumb to traditional FAKE blossomry, but I do. Especially when I came upon this huge bouquet.

My dining room table can seat 12 people, and this bouquet is a grand size. I was also pleased at how well it matched the upholstery on the chairs.

Fleurs en Blue.

Flowers in Blue.

Admiring the blue hydrangea flowers, I realized that I have a blue flower theme in my home.

Blessings, Ele