Kitchen Renovation in progress

This is the result of several long weekends at my Mom's house. She has needed a kitchen re-do for many years and we finally decided to just START! The cabinets were made by my Dad in the early 50s and were built to last. However, through the years, styles have changed and things were looking a little depressing, don't you think?

. Since the cabinets have such sentimental value to the family, we decided also because of a low budget, to add trim to the doors and paint them all. This took some persuading, but finally she agreed to let us start the process. My DH cut strips of 1/4" MDF and put on each door to resemble a shaker style. Then they were all painted. We live about 2-1/2 hrs away, so every time we've been to see her recently, we brought home doors or drawers to work on. Finally we have them all complete on this side of the. room.Our task this last weekend was to take out the countertop which had been covered with red lineoleum and metal trim. Very fashionable in 1954!!! and replace it with a stock formica countertop and add a new sink. It was a task, but went very well.

We then added a backsplash of beadboard which will travel all the way around the room.

Several layers of wallpaper need to be removed so we can paint the top third a pretty robin's egg blue-green color. The wallpaper is my sister's job. My two brothers will be removing cabinets on the other side of the room to make way for turning the fridge and building a banquette for dining. Also a new laminate floor is waiting to be laid down over the old gray floor tiles. So, several more trips to go before it's all done, but I thought I'd show you a glimpse of the project. It's amazing what just painting the cabinets has done to make the room a happier place to be.

There is always SOMETHING that can be done to give a room a new look and it doesn't always have to cost a lot. We purchased the drawer and door pulls in oil rubbed bronze at Walmart and they look very smart! Hope to show you more photos soon. Everyone have great weekend. We are having all our kids and grandchildren here on Saturday to send off our youngest son and daughter in love to Louisiana. I dread it, but they must go where the job takes them at this point. I just wish they didn't have to take the little 2 yr. old with them!!!!! ha. Blessings my friends, Linda

Guest room favorites

Hi friends, Sorry I've been away for a few days. A lot has been going in my life. I am currently taking an online course for Medical Transcription. It is requiring a lot of time and energies. So much to learn. My "playing" is limited it seems. I really think I will enjoy it once I really get it down. My "learner" is a bit out of practice, ha. I took these pics the other day, when I was playing with my camera. Oh, and I also DROPPED my camera from a step ladder I was trying to go up! Haven't taken it in yet, but it seems to be working, I am just not able to "see" if I am focusing. Not sure what can be done, but needless to say, I am very upset with myself! This picture is of an old dresser we have in the guest room, I refinished it many years ago and bought it at a garage sale for $25.00. The lady told me it came to the state on a covered wagon. It is really pretty. The mirror was missing, and I never replaced it, so I have just hung prints and mottos inside the frame. I rather like it this way. I really love the old "cottage" prints with the thatched roofs.

This little wall cabinet sits on top of a chest, I purchased it at Hobby Lobby, but it has a very old look. It is sitting on top of a chest of drawers, also from a garage sale. I faux finished the top to look like marble as the veneer on top was ruined. This is a great way to salvage a piece like this.

This mirror came from Hobby Lobby and is hanging in the guest bathroom. I love the black color. We put black and white checkerboard tiles in this room. I like the way it turned out. We put a sink top on an old buffet to use it this room. Sorry no picture of it. Maybe later.

Looks like summer is nearly over and time for all our granddaughters to head back to school, I didn't have the quality time I usually have with them this summer because of my schooling. They are all growing up so fast, and our youngest son and daughter-in-love are in the process of moving 3 states away!! I am really bummed about that! But these days they must go where the job takes them. Hope you are all having a good week and enjoying the remaining days of summer. I send you all blessings, Linda

Sunshine in the Morning

Happy Friday everyone! I have been pretty busy doing other things beside creating, so I am just going to show you more pictures of our home. This is the master bedroom and it is so pretty in the morning! Even better in the winter, when the sun comes in at a lower angle. We have a king-sized mattress on a queen-size bed, Yes you can do that. We just put the bed on a hollywood frame and fastened the headboard and footboard to that. And I don't think it looks bad at all. The walls are two colors of scarlet red, one brighter and one darker. The brighter color went on first and the other color (with glaze added) was rolled on and ragged off. Old baby diapers work great for this! I finally found a comforter I liked and have it on now, but alot of the time I use a beautiful king-sized hand crocheted spread that my mother (bless her) made for me. It is a treasure. The curtain panels are Waverly and I bought them way before we even started on the house because I loved the colors and I love flowers. They have a vintage look I think. I decided to combine them with bamboo shades from Target.
Our three daughter-in-laws hold a prime place on the wall on my side of the bed.

This is on around the room to the right. A cozy reading spot. The wicker chair is very old, but in great shape. I found the needlepoint cat at a flea market and made it into a pillow.

I'm looking for the perfect mirror to go here. Probably round. The dresser had an attached mirror, but I took it off because I thought it looked too country.
The tall glass and brass box hold favorite pieces of jewelry, so I can see them all the time. I used the base from a silverplate chafing dish to elevate a silver tray to hold various pretty things. All of this sits on another silver tray.

The other side of the bed. I made the memory box after our 25th wedding anniverysary reception. On the wall, a favorite Sandy Lynam Clough print.

Okay, this area needs work. Ha. There's a little dust inside. Mostly it holds books, pictures and the small TV. I have thought about painting or papering the inside to make it pop more.
Well that's it. Hope you all have a great weekend. Summer is fleeting by! It is hot here this week, we have been spoiled by all the previous cool July! Hope to have three of our granddaughters here next week before they start school.
Blessings to you all,

Linda

Family Room pictures and an award

Hi Friends! Hope you are all having a good week. I've not been too ambitious around the house. I've been studying for a big test I will have soon. More about that later. Thought I would show you a few pictures of our Family Room. This is our upright piano. When we had the house built, we designed a nitch for it to fit in and it worked out well. Then I found this really pretty mirror at Kirklands, that was perfect to go over it.
See how the mirror above the couch goes so well with the topiary prints I found at Kirkland's? I really like the way this turned out. The wall cone is a floral piece I made. Our coffee table is a garage sale find. It had broken and bubbled veneer on it. I just poured boiling water on it and we scraped it all off to reveal beautiful rustic oak. It really holds up to rought treatment and our little granddaughters love to play and eat around it.

Our mantel was a find at a building supply store that was being discontinued. It was really marked down and fit our dimensions perfectly. We stuffed it in our van and hauled it home from Bentonville, Ark. The only problem was that I had wanted a white mantel, but everything else about it was perfect. My husband said he wouldn't mind it I painted it, but so far that has not happened. Not sure what to do. I like the way it looks this way too. I love the little lamps that I found years ago at K-mart and I change out the florals seasonally.

I was recently given the Kreative Blogger award by Pamela at Lady Pamela's Cottage!! She has a wonderfully beautiful blog and you should visit her!Thank you Pamela for this honor!! The award is supposed to carry with it the response of "7 ways I love to be creative". I had to think about this a little bit, but here is what I came up with:




1. I love to decorate!! One of my passions has always been to make my home a sanctuary for myself and my family. Having raised three sons, this was not always an easy task, but I like to think that I had an influence in them in making their homes warm and inviting also. I have never had a big budget to work with when decorating, so I learned to shop at garage sales and thrift stores early on in my life. (Now, it is my very favorite way to shop! The thrill of the hunt!! I have no trouble visualizing how things will look and can usually find a way to create the "look" without the "label". I like things that have a history to them-- Not all of our antiques are "family pieces" but they still have a history to me. You know, where you were when you found it, how it looked, what you did to it and how much you paid for it! Ha.



2. I love to work with my granddaughters on creative projects,--scrapbooking, miniatures, cooking, Fairy gardens, and art. Each one of them has a creative gift inside them and I want to encourage and nuture those gifts, so they can be developed and enjoyed by them and those around them. I love encouraging them in music, dance and all of the arts. I also love to encourage my daughters-in-love to find their creative gifts also.


3.I enjoy creating one-of-a-kind "Old World Santas". I started making these several years ago and they are so much fun. First the face, the armature, the costume, the hair and all the embellishments, toys, etc. I love to create custom heirloom Santas for families, incoporating their personal history, hobbies, pets, children, etc.



4. I have always loved flowers and growing them in my garden. This started a love of making arrangements with silk florals several years ago. I enjoy putting together the colors and textures and using one-of-a-kind unusual containers for the arrangements. After working at this in a furniture store for a few years, I began a business out of my home and enjoy this medium very much.

5. Miniatures are near to my heart. I first started in miniatures in the 70's, making small items for type tray displays, and this hobby grew into dollhouses and room boxes. It's fun to make a room in miniature, because it doesn't cost nearly the same amount and it stimulates my mind to see, how can I duplicate that in 1/12th scale? Tiny things have always intrigued me.



6. I love to sing!! My spirit soars when I sing about the Lord of my Life! Music is a powerfully creative thing in our world and I'm thankful for the gift of music I was given.



7. I'm a JUNKER!!! Yes, I'm one of those people whose heart starts pumping when they see a garage sale, a thrift store, or something put out by the curb! I love taking something that someone else has cast aside and giving it new LIFE!! I look at trash the same way that God looks at me, not what I am, but what I WILL and CAN become. I have found there are few lost causes, and it really gives me joy to recreate something into something else. One of the perks of turning 50 was that I now get 25% off on Tuesdays at the Goodwill!! Ha.


Well, that's probably more about me than you ever wanted to know! But I'm sure many, many of you in the land of Blog can relate. I remember when I first found a decorating blog, and then another and another! I was SO happy!! I said to my husband that evening, Guess what happened today? I FOUND MY PEOPLE!!! He looked at me sooo strangely and said what do you mean? I said," I found people who like to save old buttons, trim, fabrics, bump chenille, and millinery flowers, junky furniture and such, just like me!!! What a happy day that was!! So now, I know that I am not the only one who _____________. ( You fill in the blank!! ) Thank you my friends for inspiring me every day, I hope once in a while I can do the same for you!

Blessings, Linda

My Studio ~ Where I Create

Hi Friends! Today I'm participating in Karen Valentine's party Where Bloggers Create. For a complete list of all the girls who are joining in, click HERE. There are soooo many beautiful spaces to enjoy. So, get yourself a glass of something good, and join in the fun! Thank you Karen, for coming up with this great idea for all to share in! We all have a space where we get creative. Some of us have large spaces and some not so large, but each is special in it's own way to the artist who inhabits it. I will share pictures of my space with you. It's not huge but very adequate and a sunny room to be in, which I love. As you enter the door, this is the view you see.

My "unfinished" dollhouse is front and center, seems I never get around to working on it. It's on the "someday" list.

My bookcases are old laminate pieces that I painted at the beginning of the year and like them so much more now. The room is painted a spring green. I've decided that green must be my favorite color as I am always drawn to it. The color is brighter than it appears.
The large platter is begging for the word "CREATE" inside. I'm going to spell it out with green pearl beads when I get around to it. My neighbor gave me the wicker dress form.

Some of my favorite postcards and scripture cards.


An old spool cabinet that I've had for many years. I kept my jewerly in it, so it was way more than half empty! Ha. One day I decided to move it into the studio to hold all sorts of little things. It works great!

One of the Santas I have made. This one is a "Kansas Santa." He has the "Wizard of OZ" characters in the pack on his back.

Most everything happens at this work table, found at the Goodwill. I have a beautiful view to the Southwest, lots of trees and flowers under my window.

Hankies on clips for a window valance.

This door leads to my closet.

Closeup of my little dolls and bears. I keep my m-o-p buttons in this apothecary jar.

This doll and case was all made by a doll artist named Betsy Rouse. It's one of my very favorite things.

This is my sewing machine cabinet. I still need to get it painted white to match everything else. The quilt hanging was a very special gift from a dear friend. I just love it.

The remaining wall with countertop sitting on 2 old treadle sewing machine bases. I made a skirt to hang between them. The curio and small chest were painted out to match and stacked.

Another project in the "waiting room" is the large white frame. I want to put a tack board in it and cover it with a plum colored fabric. I may put chicken wire over that, not sure at this point. For now, I hung a little baby dress and an old print I love.

A box I put together.

I found this rack at the Goodwill, it perfectly holds 12x12 scrapbook paper.

A miniature Store window I put together many years ago.

Oops, Santa again!

This is a Christmas room I have been working on. It will fit in an 8x10 frame and hang on the wall.

Two recent miniature projects.

A "Victorian Bedroom" done many years ago.

"Sort of" organized closet.

A wooden plate I did a few years ago. I love how things look against a black background! Well, that's probably way more than you wanted to see! I love having this space and am so grateful for it. I feeds my creative spirit and helps me forget the cares of this world when I'm in there. I am fairly new to the blogging world, but have enjoyed it so much and gained so many friends from it. I FOUND MY PEOPLE, is how I like to say it!! Thank you for visiting, I hope you will come again. Now, go and see all the other wonderful spaces!

Be Blessed, my friends,

Linda