farmhouse friday

{farmhouse friday: drool worthy houses that i fall in love with}

it's cold outside so we're going inside for farmhouse friday today.

i am partial to old, cozy, bead board ceilings in farmhouses.

but i could sooo see myself in a kitchen like this. 

be still my heart.  isn't this just so beautiful?!

the only thing i would change is that entire oven surround. 

 i'd make it out of stone just to add more texture to the room.

  i am for sure putting this photo in my dream file!

{image found here}

enjoying time with the boys this week.  i'll be back here after the week end.

happy new year!

from our house to yours

{image found here}

to my family, friends, and followers

i wish you a very Merry Christmas!

i feel blessed that so many of you visit my blog.

i will be taking a wee break from my blog to spend time with my boys while they are on christmas break. 

i will see you, back here, in the new year!

CHEERS!

farmhouse friday

{farmhouse friday: drool worthy houses that i fall in love with}

image found here

a few of my favorite {white} things

i am linking up to white wednesdays over at faded charm.

again, so many great whites over there today...go see!

around our house

 today there is more cookie baking and decorating.

it's nice to get these boys in the kitchen with me. 

they actually were the ones that wanted to make cookies today.

 they lasted long enough to make a big mess.  but isn't that what being in the kitchen with kids is all about?

 they are so proud of their creations.

 oh, and did i mention the mess?   sprinkles are everywhere around here today.  {good thing for that new black lab vacuum we got this past summer!}

we even managed a big long walk through our neighborhood today. 

today is the start of christmas break.  i can't wait to spend all my time with these special boys in my life! 

christmas music blaring, boys screaming and cookies baking....aahh...the sounds of christmas break!

cookie party 2010

 i am still on a high from yesterdays cookie party.
no, not a sugar high. 
a high from what fab friends i have.
smart, creative, funny and beautiful my friends are the best.

 look at all these lovely cookies.
and oh the smell!  chocolate, and sugar goodness my house smelled oh so yummy.

 it is so fun to see all the different cookies.  i so wish i could have tasted every one of them.
but i hate to workout so i did not.

 thanks to all my wonderful friends who spent hours searching for just the right recipe.  baking and decorating such beautiful cookies.

 how super cute are these mice?!

and it wasn't all about the cookies....

 cheese, fruit and some yummy sweets....

and drinks to keep the chatter going.

i am sure that when my friends arrived back home their assorted cookie trays were devoured by loved ones.  i love that my party is in the late afternoon....so that all the kiddos can have dessert first when mom brings home the cookie tray!

cheers!  to good friends, good cookies and a good Christmas season!

** all extra cookies were again donated to the Forum Assisted Living.  they loved seeing me walk in with a box of cookies for the 4th year!  my cup runneth over.

come sunday

 all of these empty platters will be filled with lovely cookies.
my annual {4th year...wow!} cookie party is sunday and it is one of my all time favorite parties to throw.

and falling under the 'use what you have' category i bring you this lovely chandelier.
the base is a side of a crib from the 1800's.  it's all rusty and perfect.  i added some greenery, snowflakes, shiny ornaments and drippy crystals and hung it up above my table.  it looks so beautiful i think i want to keep it up all year.  or, at least start looking for a proper chandelier.

but for sunday's party...it will be perfect.  photos of the party on monday.  cheers!  to the week end.

farmhouse friday

{farmhouse friday: drool worthy houses that i fall in love with}

this could be a super cute guest house no?

{image found here}

concrete christmas

'tis the season.  and i don't think i've ever been this far behind. 

bought some presents but don't have them wrapped...fa la la la la la la la la,
having a cookie party and don't have a clue what cookie i'm making...fa la la la la la la la la,
got the tree up,
and decorated the mantels fa la la la la la la,
next week will be here before i know it...fa la la la la ...la la la laaaaaa.

a quick look at my decorations.  pulled the statues and concrete pieces in from the garden.  brought in some branches, and threw in some silver and white.  poof.  done. whew!   keep it simple, use what you have.

enjoy!

farmhouse friday

loving the setting of this farmhouse.

oooh what i could do with all those raised beds.

{image found here}

cheers!  to the week end.

teacher gifts

i have a fabric fetish.
and now, i have a fabric flower fetish.

wool and felt make these beauties stand out the best.  search for wool scarfs at thrift stores and you'll get two or three flowers out of each one.  a great way to use up fabric scraps too.

 these were so quick and simple to make.  i made 10 in about an hour and half.  they have a pin on the back.  adorable pinned to a hat, jacket, sweater, or even a ribbon around your neck {choker style}.  these will be our teacher gifts this year.

they came together so quickly that i'll also have some for sale at my booth this weekend.

the quote on the bottom says: "more than anything, i must have flowers always always". ~Claude Monet

i found the tutorial to make these here.

farmhouse friday

simple.
beautiful.
love it!
{image found here}

enjoy the week end!

swan or ugly duck?

recently i purchased a couple of dressers. 

the drawers on one of them were not in great shape.

i thought i could sand and paint them and they would be fine.

i was wrong.  hate when that happens.

old book pages to the rescue.

 i opted just to put them on the bottom four because i liked the floral detail on the top two.

sanded the heck out of them, and then gel stained over the top of them.

swan?  or still an ugly duck?

also loving the look of the concrete floor of my garage.  wish i could get that inside somehow?!  hmmm...

ever so thankful

{photo: country living}

i have been a little bit MIA lately....so busy with so many things. 

but wanted to take a minute and let all my readers know that i am truly thankful for YOU!

still so surprised that so many of you come back here, to my wee blog, to see what i have to say {or of late, nothing to say because i can't seem to manage all 10 irons in the fire}.

happy thanksgiving to all you!  may you enjoy time with family and friends...and eat dessert first!

farmhouse friday

{farmhouse friday: drool worthy houses that i fall in love with}

enjoy!

pack your bags.  today we enjoy this lovely farmhouse in france.

cheers!  to the week end.



focus? i can't relate

for the life of me if i don't have 10 irons in the fire...

things just don't feel right.

i am such a starter not a finisher (oh eventually i finish...just takes me awhile sometimes).

so this week, week of a million things going on....should be focusing on this huge sale for saturday... i get a whim to rearrange my entry.   what ??? 

i have actually been thinking about moving the massive clock from the basement to the entry.  so i did.  just like that.  right in the middle of my crazy week.  right in the middle of a project i was working on.

 i have had a long mirror in the entry for EVER, so when i put the clock there i liked it but didnt' love it.

i missed the sparkle and reflection of the mirror. 

so a light bulb went off.  i remembered that i had a round mirror in my booth that had not sold.  went and got it, put it behind the clock and now i LOVE it! 

i mean what are the chances that mirror would actually be the right size?  love when things happen like that. 

i'm on the hunt now for some kind of a small lamp for the entry table.  i removed two tall buffet lamps and now am missing the light.  one project leads to another.  it's no wonder i can't focus.

oh, and just so you know that i DO in fact eventually finish a project here is a photo of my complete painted living room. 

and after viewing this room in these photos, i can't say that i love it.  probably come spring, i'll be painting it cream again. 

sheesh...no wonder i can't focus...my mind just doesn't stop.

in the kitchen

yes, it is 4pm and i just made myself a vanilla latte.

it's been a long 9 days.  you see,  the heat element in my latte machine crapped out.

mind you, i am up to 4 shots of espresso in my morning latte.

so...
i tried my french press.
i tried really strong brewed coffee.
heck, i even tried drinking coffee all day long.

but nothing compared to my morning addiction.

today the doorbell rang.  when i heard the sound of the big brown truck driving away, i knew exactly what was waiting on my front step.

aaahhh.  i love this machine a latte!  if you are in the market for a dual latte and brewed coffee machine i would highly recommend this one.  the reviews, for some reason, aren't great on it.  but i have no bad comments to make about it. {i am not being paid, or compensated in any way by putting this post out today} so stop screaming and thinking that you might be getting a new mack daddy coffee maker.  i wish i had one to give away to one of my awesome readers...but not today.  anywho, DeLonghi rules in our house. 

my heating element did go out in my last one.  but i had that thing for two years and used it everyday.  that is approximately 730 lattes!  wow...just realized what a deal this machine is.  730 lattes at a coffee shop would have cost me approximately $2,920....on lattes for two years!  makes spending the $97 (+ $20 rebate) on this new machine look like a huge bargain. 

and because i am linking up to white wednesday over at faded charm here is some more white...in my kitchen:

 these small white bowls are a staple in my kitchen.  i love when i discover one at a garage sale or thrift store.  we use them for everything.  i would like to have stacks of them.



 i am also working on a stack of white platters. 

i just love white dishes.  oh, that's obvious?  well i guess it is.  so simple, so pretty and they go with any table scape you create for any time of the year. 

big big show this saturday if you're in the kansas city area.  the cure of ars gift gallery is taking place.  the past two nights i have been up until the wee hours getting everything tagged and packed up.  i always freak that i won't have enough merchandise.  i have more than enough...wow!  fun stuff....vintage, just old, chippy, silver, sparkly, and a last batch of trays {more on that later}. 

perfect timing on the latte machine today.  looks like i'll need it to get all my work done.

i am such a procrastinator!!  are you?  leave me a comment.  i'll be posting photos of my space at the show...eventually.