Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Peaks into the living room

Good morning all !!!

I can only show " peaks " because there are so many finishing touches to do in this room it isn't funny
but for now at least I can walk into ( even sit in it when I have 2 minutes ) and not go into a full out depression :)


I placed the mirror in front of the fireplace insert to see if a pewter frame would look good ( the frame around it currently is a brassy gold - and I know gold is making a comeback but it doesn't work here at all )  Anyway I placed the mirror there and the room instantly brightened up - this is what I'll be putting there in the summer when the fire is redundant :)

John's favorite item sits on the mantel - this week anyway - he calls it Tea Biscuit - is that the cutest name ever???  ( hope you realize that it's a reference to Sea Biscuit - but being British and all ? )


I remember one of John's friend's wives coming over once to one of our other homes - and asking how often I change decor around -
Often - I replied
Wow - she said - you need to get a life

(TWIT - that IS my life - I decorate - I didn't reply :)

I also took the covers off the pillows to be cleaned - and discovered I love the white - so they'll be covered in white now - but I'm very seriously considering having the couch and chair slipcovered as well - if I can find a place that doesn't charge the price of new furniture !!!


I painted a small stool I had ( I think I paid 3 dollars for it -
It's perfect to place a cup of tea on or a glass of wine :)


Here's what it looked like before


A little paint and frog tape and probably 10 minutes later ( well actually 14 months later ) and voila a petite grain sack stool :)


Large mirrors help to bring light into this kind of dark space  ( the living room windows opens to the enclosed porch )
I have 3 of them up - not including the one in front of the fireplace - basically the room of mirrors lol
( the room being so small it's basically wall to wall mirrors )


here you go - mirrors reflecting mirrors lol


You can see the elephant candle has not been lit yet - but it will be ( you can read about The Elephant in the Room and Erma Bombeck HERE
For now he rests among the flowers :)


and now I'll show you why you're only getting sneak peaks

The new heater covers have not been made yet


The " pony " wall has not been refinished - OMG - I searched the entire house yesterday for those sunglasses - went out in the blinding sun without them - why didn't I do this post a day earlier ???



The leaded glass windows on either side of the fireplace need new molding around them


It's driving me insane - really it is .................and I know that Rome wasn't built in a day - but that's because MEN were building it back then - otherwise it would have been :)

It's coming - I know it is - but I'm impatient by nature so it's just not coming fast enough - although I have to say I'm amazed at the difference when I see the before shots - not just at the transformation but how damn big those camera's make rooms lol LOL - it's half the size that it appears - and I do mean half, truly !!!
Look how far away the seller's couch and chair look from each other - and the table looks lost somewhere in the middle


Here's the reality - although I know my furniture is much larger and chunkier - still - look how close together everything is - ( I made a lot of bad decisions here - but the floors were the best one ever - so happy I stayed with the original and had them refinished )


You know what's coming right?
C'mon - you KNOW what's coming!
Alan Jackson, ladies

Well it's all right to be little bitty
A little home town or a big old city
Might as well share - might as well smile.......................

Life goes on for a little bitty while.


and on a side note - NOT THAT I'M BRAGGING OR ANYTHING - BUT WOW - GO CANADA - LOL - 9 MEDALS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ( ok - maybe I AM bragging - but really just a little )

Have a good one all !
Much love,


Partying Here !!!
Common Ground                                 The Charm of Home                        French Country Cottage
My Turn for Us                                   Miss Mustard Seed                          My Romantic Home
Funky Junk Interiors                            Uncommon Designs                        Coastal Charm
Between naps on the porch                   Knick of Time
Not just a housewife


Sunday, February 9, 2014

Valentine's Coupons and tutorial for Free Printables (

Good morning Everyone !

Well well well - I've created my first FREE printables - actually my first printables ever!

What do you think?
This is the cover page - complete with outline for hole to punch out


Here's a sampling of a few of them






To see them all - or to print them out for yourself click Free Valentine's Coupons - with the proper size of the coupons.

This tutorial is only for Blogger ( sorry I have no idea how to do it on any other site )

First you go to pic monkey and create whatever free printable you'd like to make - cards - recipes -
coupons - subway art - whatever you want to do..................and save it ( saving it on  your desktop is the easiest I find )

Next you open WORD - and save your photo ( s ) to a WORD Doc...................

Once that's been saved as well - you go to www.docs.google.com and click on the upload icon -
you'll find it on the upper left hand corner - right beside the CREATE button.............upload the Word file at this point and simply copy and paste the url- which you can now add as a link to your post and Voila - you can now offer your very own free printables !

I'm off now to make a coupon book for Kids and Grandkids :)

Have a wonderful Monday everyone !

Much love,