Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Featured!


I was featured at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia at last weeks Tuesday’s Treasures. I do love the open shelves and French menu a lot, always makes me smile when I walk by. I knew when I saw it that it would fit perfectly! Stop over and see this weeks Tuesday’s Treasures. Thanks so very much Kristen!
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Rondell

Sunday, January 27, 2013

What to do When Your Snowed In



Why you grab your camera and take pictures and walk around the house snapping, doesn’t everyone do this? If you blog you do! lol.
That’s what I just did while still in my pj’s even went out on my front porch to take pictures of the snow that started late this morning and is still coming down. I’ll show you later.
I also put the chair cover and couch cover in the washing machine, I had the couch cover off for a while but I like it better than the blue so I figure the more I wash it the softer it will get, it’s the third time for it. I have two of these chairs that were given to me as you can see they are chippy! The desk I found for $25.00 at a yardsale.
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I really can’t decide which I like…this is when I had it in the entryway.P1302146 the cover on it or not.
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I also took a picture of the wreath on my front door, I had bought this wreath about two years ago and just never knew what to do with it. This year I decided to it was going to be my “winter wreath,” goes so well with all the snow we are getting.
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The desk is coming along, this is with one coat of primer, I’m doing this right, letting it dry for a couple days between coats of primer and paint, because it will be used a lot and I want it to look good.
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I now have an empty wall in the diningroom since I moved the bookcase out, I found this oval frame at Michaels, they sell them just like this to use without a picture and it was on sale!
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So maybe I’ll do something like this with other pictures thrown in, I guess I’m just going to fool around with it to see if I like it or not. The square one is from GW for $2.99 which reminds me I haven’t been there for a while!
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So here is the snow we are getting, the tree there in the background is a Holly Tree always looks so pretty with snow on it.  snow 2013 and random pics 001
Thanks for stopping by and for your sweet comments, I always appreciate it!
I’ll be joining these great parties, stop by for some great inspiration!
Rondell

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Paris Grey Basket and White Owl Lamp

I found this basket last November at a church sale for $3.00, a nice sized one too!
I’ve always wanted to paint it so today after getting the girls on the bus after a 2 hour delay ( because it was about 8 degrees this morning ) I came home and started on it. I used the rest of the Paris Grey, well maybe I have enough to paint an urn that I found there too!
I think it turned out really nice!
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This is what it looked like before, it’s plastic lined so I guess you could put a large plant in it if you wanted to but I kill plants so I won’t be doing that!
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I’m keeping it in my office, gee, it sounds so good to write that.:) Right now I have my burlap stored in it.
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Here is a close up, I just dry brushed it on letting some of the finish show thru  ASCP just went on so smoothly too!
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Now here is the sweetest lamp ever that I bought to go on the desk, whenever I get that started, they have a 2 hour delay tomorrow too!
Isn’t he/her the cutest, love his/her face!
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The shade is burlap and I found him at Burlington for $25.99, I didn’t think that was a bad price for both the lamp and the shade!
The taller lamp is just to big for the desk, you can see it on the floor back there. Yes, I still have to do the trim in white, maybe once I get the room going I’ll get it done, It’s like #1,000 on my to do list:)
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Here’s the desk that I found in a dumpster when the college here was done for the summer, the best thing is that it was free!
The girl that used it and thur it away must have been an art major don’t you think? I have it all sanded and I’m going to prime it because the top is some sort of laminate plus all the magic marker art too. I have a quart of gray paint that I bought a while ago so I’m using what I have. I’d like to find some neat hardware for it also!
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Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a great evening!
I’ll be joining these parties:
Rondell

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Menu Finally Up

Took me a week but I finally got it hung! I knew the shelves needed something underneath and when I saw it at Bed Bath and Beyond I just about fell over myself to get to it. The price wasn’t to bad $29.00 but I had a 20% off coupon so it made it a little easier to justify buying it…if you know what I mean.
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It has sort of a chalkboard feel to it but what I love most about it is that it doesn't come off, I’m the world’s worst writer with chalk! I do like my chippy stool sitting under it too.
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You can read it better here, specialties, soup, potatoes au Gratin, brochette, salmon and filet mignon are about all I can identify, how about you? Anyway, I do so love it!
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Here is a little sneak peek of what I’ve been working on these couple days, I can’t wait to get it done but I have to work today so that won’t be happening but I do plan for tomorrow to get somethings done! Can you guess where my new office space is? I’m so excited for it to become my space to blog and also watch some of my favorite programs! Stush hooked it up to cable in here.
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Well, I got to run and get ready for work, thanks as always for stopping by and your sweet comments!
I’ll be joining these parties, stop by for some great inspiration!
 
 
Rondell

Saturday, January 19, 2013

A Valentine for MY Mantle

The silver metal tray was just not doing it for me…I tried a dough bowl but…still to dark looking.
I had to take these photos after dark because I watched the girls and also had to finish this project!
Finally learned how to take the yellow out of the pics…thank you Pic Monkey!
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Here is the mantle when I first did it and I did try to shop my home but just couldn’t find anything that I liked! Then I thought about  Valentine’s Day and how it will be here in less than a month and right away I got on Pinterest, because I knew I had pinned something the other day that I wanted to try and make.
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Isn’t it adorable? Sara from Cozy. Cottage. Cute. made this for her hubby and she put a lot of thought into it, me, not so much! When I went to buy a heart punch I couldn’t find a one in my area, JoAnn’s was all sold out and only had one left but the heart on it was teeny tiny. So at the Dollar Tree I grabbed a bag of heart stickers to trace around and cut out the hearts from a  DT book. Looking at Sara’s I know I didn’t want to cut out all those hearts so I used this frame that I already had and knew I'd only have to cut out a few, which made me happy!
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Looking at Sara’s I know I didn’t want to cut out all those hearts so I used this frame with a smaller mat that I already had and knew I'd only have to cut out a few, which made me happy!
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I think it is just what the mantel needed, seems to give it some balance now don’t you think?
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If you want to see some talent and the sweetest baby (Cooper) and his nursery visit Sara’s Cozy. Cottage. Cute.
I’ll be joining these parties:
Rondell

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Texture on My Mantel


Hi everyone! I hope your are having a great evening.Yesterday was so warm here in Pa. just fooled you into thinking it was spring…can’t wait because it is my very favorite season!
This morning I played around with my mantel, I wasn’t liking the look of the round mirror there so I put back the black framed mirror for now. I’m going to start looking for a larger one with maybe a more ornate frame, the one I have is just to plain looking. Here are some pics I took to show you. I tried to play around with different textures just to see how I liked it!
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I have to shop around the house to find something to replace it, which I’m finally discovering to do and finding out that I don’t have to buy…just use something I already have! The only thing I have bought lately for the mantel are the topiaries and I got those on sale!
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I’m not even sure it’s silver just metal I think, it was $2.00 at a church sale this past fall. As I was looking at this picture I noticed the pine needle laying there…I swear they multiply, I’m still picking them up:)
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This is to the left of the mirror… ceramic balls are from Pier One, vase from Goodwill and for some more texture I gathered some twigs and tied with twine for on top of the dropcloth covered books!
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To the right…do you see the nails? I haven’t got Stush to get them out yet, they are from Christmas for the ton of stockings I have to hang. The black and white picture is from the consignment store $3.00, urn I painted with ASCP…$2.00 at a yardsale and the box (says varnishes) was $4.00 at a yardsale a couple years ago! Isn’t is funny how I can remember the price of what I find and not remember what day it is? lol.
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So how do you like it? I do think the tray has to go though! One thing I do love about it is the whiteness of the fireplace:)
I went shopping with my bff Friday, I’ve been looking for something for a certain place and found it at Bed Bath and Beyond, here’s a pic of it, next post I’ll show you where I hang it! I had a 20% off coupon too!
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Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and of course I always love to read your comments:)
Love these parties:
Rondell

Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Numbered Stool


Do you have things that aren’t really worth a lot but you would never get rid of them for the life of you? This wood stool is one of those things for me, my mom bought it for me at Walmart in the 90’s. It’s great for extra seating but was a blonde wood, eventually I painted it white and called it done but every time I’d look at it I knew it needed something else added to it. So years later I distressed  and added the number 3! Sanded it too! I still have to wax it also.
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Then went over it with watered down black paint and wiped it off with a clean rag.
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You can see the distressing a little better here.
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I usually keep it in the diningroom next to the bookcase…
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More distressing!
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Can you see my floors in the above pics?  I love the Shark, it’s great for laminate floors, I just never felt like my floors were getting clean with a mop or a sponge mop well, this baby sure cleans good I could not believe how dirty the cleaning pad was after I was done! This was at the top of my Christmas list this year!
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Thanks so much for stopping by, I know I haven’t been on here for about a week but I’ve been organizing and cleaning and truthfully not sleeping well except for last night. Plus trying to get my house put back together after taking all the decorations down. Oh, I did clean out the bottom of my hutch so I’m still living up to my word for the year, just doing baby steps so that I don’t get to tired of doing it.
Also at the very top of my side bar I’ve listed what I’m reading, I love to read so I’ll be changing that as I finish a book then maybe you will want to read it too.
So, I’ll be at these parties, stop by them for a lot of inspiration!
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Show and Tell @ My Romantic Home
Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous
Fabulously Creative Friday @ Jennifer Rizzo
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Rondell  

Saturday, January 5, 2013

How Do You Like it Now

 
WhooHoo! I’m really sticking to my word, organize, so much so that I’m surprising myself. I sure hope I keep it up, today I took down all the inside Christmas décor and packed it all away in the basement (also taking the time to wrap things with tissue paper). I didn’t put it with the other Christmas things I haven’t used for a few years though, I’m keeping the old out to go thur and throw away or give to GW. I so can’t wait to get this house organized, I didn’t even tell my husband that I was going to do this, I’m just going to do it on my own!
I also did a little sprucing up on my open kitchen shelves after I took everything down to clean. I’m really in love with them now, you can also  tell what time I took these photos the lighting at this time of day isn’t that great but I wanted to join in on some linky party’s, if I don’t I always feel like I’m missing something:)
 
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I got tired of the bottles on there so it was time for a change!
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I found this cloche at GW a while ago and used a large pinecone for the winter months, the cow is also from GW and the breadboards I’ve had for years, love the scorched one in the back! I think I bought that one from Ebay! Do you think it looks like farmhouse style?
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This silver dish, top and plate and glass dish inside, came from GW too I usually kept in the diningroom hutch, I but decided to shop my home and you know what? It was fun! Love the knob on it!
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I think the little clock that I found at GW not to long ago looks cute next to the big one!
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I only worked one day this week and one next week, so I’m going to enjoy organizing and decorating all day long:)
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Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you are having as much fun as I am! If you would like to see my Pinterest board “Shelf Styling” you can see it here.
Joining:
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
 
Rondell
 
 

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Word of the Year…Organize


Happy New Year everyone! So glad there is a clean slate ahead of all of us... right?
My word for 2013 is organize, why? Because I’m terrible at it and it has finally caught up with me to make me realize that I need to get my butt in gear and do what I need to do in order to have my home the way I want it.
I just don’t want to be like this lady in the picture anymore!
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I want to be more organized, I am so tired of hunting for things that I’ve put stuffed into cabinets and cupboards and also under beds, yes, I do that only not in neat, plastic containers like you should use just “stuffed”. Maybe my posting about this and putting myself out there will keep me on my toes about it and at the end of 2013 I can proudly say I’m more organized now! I sure hope so!
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This has to be my word for the year no other will do because I need to really work on this matter in my life.
My kitchen is all organized, not by me but by my husband who really does all the cookin, that is the only room that doesn’t need organized. The other rooms do though so tomorrow I’ll be starting on the bedrooms than out into the livingroom, diningroom and keeping room. Even the basement, I shudder if just one of you would see that. lol
I hope this post will help someone out there who is like me and you go along with me in 2013 on this journey, I know I’ll breath a sigh of relief when I am successful at it.

Rondell

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Review of 2012


Hi friends! From visiting all your blogs I see you all had a wonderful Christmas, so glad, ours was great too and yesterday we had another one because Michael and Corrie came home from Annapolis. Needless to say I’m all Christmased out. The decorations are all still up and will be until after the New Year.
I just wanted you to know that I haven’t been on here to post because my hubby bought me a new lap top for Christmas, it’s Window’s 8 and I’m totally lost with it. I love the speed of it which is wonderful but learning the different ways to do things is daunting to a woman of my age. So I don’t know if I’ll keep it or not, I like to use Live Writer to post to my blog but putting it on the new lap top they want my password and ID that I just can’t remember…I know… stupid not write it down :) Does anyone have windows 8? Any tips or suggestions? I’m using my older one for now!
Now on to my most viewed posts okay?
Seemed everyone really liked when I used some AS chalkpaint on my diningroom table legs that I did in French Linen. You can read about that post here.
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My bestest Craiglist find ever, still loven it, read about it here!
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Loved doing this fun craft, read about it here.
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Open shelves are up! Read about it here.
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From dark brown brick to lovely white, read about it here.
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Loven My Kitchen, read about it here.
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Plus my hometour at Debbiedoo’s, read about it here.
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Thanks so much for stopping by I always appreciate it and of course your
sweet comments!
I’ll be joining these parties:
Make it Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House