Western Girly

Love Bunny and I are heading over to visit our little great granddaughter soon so I'm preparing a few posts while we're gone. I thought it would be fun to show you something out of the ordinary for me, but first a word or two about photographs.

Some of these I scanned and some I actually took photos of so you could see them better. But the thing I want to mention to you is about storing photos.

We travel with 2 laptop computers and have our other desktop computers here at the house. They don't have the same things on them. My iPhoto on my MacBook Pro laptop doesn't have the same photos as the iMac desktop I'm on at the moment. I've tried coordinating as much as possible but it's nearly impossible with the photos since I am usually on my desktop and don't bother adding them to my iPhoto on my laptop. So that's why I use Photobucket. That way I can access them no matter where in the world I am. I have a post here about that and a problem I had several years ago. I strongly suggest you read it. It will save you much heartache. I get regular emails from bloggers asking about problems with things and most times I can help, but when you trash your photos they're gone for good. I even have one lady who—you're not going to believe this, but she actually uses a new photo card for each group of photos she takes. Unbelievable! She just doesn't want to take the chance to put them off site on an image host and doesn't know how to put them on a disk plus the cost must be terrible. Unbelievable to have to go buy a new card and save that instead of learning how to save them and never, ever have to worry.
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Situated in Sundance, Utah and owned by a woman, it's a getaway for a designer of clothing and home furnishings. I thought it would be fun to see a cabin that is Western Girly as I call this house.

Feminine and western and comfortable for both women and men. I just love this look.

Guest room.

Lovely living quarters. Very homey and feminine I think.

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Mill House Pond for Pink Saturday 1/29/2011

Happy Pink Saturday, my sweet chicks! Remember to visit with Beverly to view all the pink participants by clicking on the logo below.
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So today let's visit another house in a magazine from 1972. As I've said earlier this week, I'm destashing all my files of photos I've saved through the years. So the only place I have them now is on my computer and Photobucket.

Introducing Mill Pond House. Yes, it's really by an old mill pond. The woman of this house had vision—and a loving and understanding hubby!—for to have painted it this gorgeous pink back almost 40 years ago in upstate New York was not common except in Southern California maybe. I lived there then so I should know. This lady was very innovative and courageous. But I'm certainly glad she was because it grabbed at my heart 40 years ago. When I first saw these pictures I actually gasped. I loved this house above all others back then. I still love it but as time comes and goes I've seen others that have touched my heart at least as much as this one.

It's a huge house with enough acreage that the owners have to have a little tractor to take care of the grounds.

This is the large family room off the back with 3 separate seating sections with 4 sofas. That doorway under the stairs opens to another little study with a mural painted by the husband's mother with her little dog.

It was the pink candy striped sofas that drew my attention immediately. As per a post this week, you can see I had a pink striped sofa but I had to get rid of it when we moved here 5 years ago. It broke my heart. I sold it to a family with many kids and I know she took the slipcover off of it immediately and probably threw it out. I was sick but nothing to be done about it. That slipcover cost me $800.00 about 25 years ago also and was in perfect condition. I almost cried.

This is an eating area off the back as you can see in the top photo. I lust for a room like this. Sigh...

A small library with an exquisite sofa and an indoor window seat with the same flowered cushions. There wasn't a photo of the red room beyond this one but somehow it fits what a formal living room would be I think because I see a beautiful fireplace in there.

To have a master bedroom this luxurious and big is a dream I'll never fulfill in this life.

Now, you didn't think I wouldn't show you the actual mill pond, did you? Here it is and it's adorable with this little guest cottage they had redone by Ralph Lauren. Very different from the style of the lady of the house, but exquisite. Sit, lunch and then swim.

Like me, she must love stripes!

See the owner's pink house in the background.

This photo is horrid but I put it in here to show you the little dam of water you can see out the window. Darling!

I apologize for the photos but they were scans of magazine photos I've had for 40 years tucked away and did get some abuse from me pulling them out and looking at them from time to time. If scanners had been invented back then I'm sure I would have saved them in a much better state but I'm just lucky I didn't throw them away until I scanned them this week to show you. They're now safe for the ages to come.
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Now, I have a compelling video for y'all to watch. I'm just linking up to it here and won't put the video on for those of you (US!) who don't like them on blogs because it slows it down too much. I can guarantee this will lift your hearts. So without further ado, let's give a rousing cheer to our brave men and women who are fighting for our country, bloggers!!! Just click on th' Kiss and go for it. I guarantee you'll have tears in your eyes for joy.

Kiss
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A Confession and Letting Go

From time to time we all experience this: not wanting to do a thing but vegetate around the house. No, don't deny it. We all have experienced it. Well, for me it's been going on for months. MONTHS!! I've pretty much spent my time reading, which is a true love of mine, and usually it's espionage, thriller or mystery books. I can highly recommend Daniel Silva if you have an interest in espionage.

Love Bunny wanted more room for food storage and since this house is 4 bedroom but only 1800 s.f. there isn't much room for much more since we've maxed out every single one of the 3 extra bedrooms with our separate offices and craft rooms. The 3rd car garage is for his model trains layout and that would be tremendous for food storage as he put in heating and air conditioning there, but it is his train room and I can't ask him to give it up. So I've been trying to find room in closets. I've also been contemplating what to donate, giveaway to friends or donate to thrift stores. This has not been easy, trust me.

These little drawers will have to go. I've agonized over these little vintage drawers for months but they are doing me no good. If you have an interest in them, email me and they're yours for a very nominal price plus shipping.

This I'll keep since it didn't sell when I had them on etsy and I do like little lollies to festive up the place. But it's your eye candy for this blog. ;-)

These little Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic footstools both have broken or wobbly legs. I can put things on them or prop feet on them; we just can't sit on them.

Okay, I've cleaned out one half of the craft room closet. The other half already contains food storage so we have more room now on the other half. But this room has looked exactly like this for 6 months now with very little hope of big change in the immediate future.

I really, really have to do something soon as I cannot even get in this room to craft. This means taking apart that white shelving and sticking it up in the attic garage with the other shelving until we can find somewhere to put it up or sell it also.

I made those two black with pink and lavender roses center motif out of some left over fabric from when our chairs were upholstered in that fabric. I absolutely loved that fabric and am having a hard time giving away or selling them. I haven't made up my mind yet, but once gone, they're gone. They really are gorgeous. Again, if you have an interest in them, let me know, and I'll come to a decision on what to do with them at that point. Nominal price plus shipping.

Oh, the front is 100% high end upholstery fabric and the back is 100% wool in purple so they are not machine washable.

Trust me when I say I'm embarrassed to show you this but there it is. Sigh...

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Another Putter Around the House Day

It's a foggy day here in southwest Idaho and I've decided to do another post before I eat lunch and balance my check book. Sigh... Is there anything else I'd rather not do than balance my checkbook? Nuuuuuu, in fact, I'd rather clean toilets than that.

New followers rarely, if ever, go back and read some really interesting posts when they start following someone and I'm no different. There is only one woman I went back to the very beginning and read all her posts because she's sooooo funny. I laughed and laughed and laughed at all of them and there were hundreds. So in that spirit, some of you newbies might think I'm boring. Au contraire, you just haven't been here long enough to go with me and Love Bunny on a camping trip in the wilds of Idaho (btw, I hate camping!) or to see some of the crafts I do or to visit our small home. I suggest you kind of browse to see some of them. But today I'm just rambling.

I do this kind of thing for my home.

Journals. Do you journal? I don't. Oh, I've tried but I just can't get the hang of it so I do my "journaling" here on line. I'd much rather type than write.

Or things I've done to different houses I've lived in such as this.

Or this very quick redo when we thought we sold the house, moved out and the deal fell through and we had to move back in at the height of the winter holiday season!

One of the many lamps I've redone for our home.

This chandelier I made for our bedroom.

And this little ribbon tree I whipped up when I had snippets leftover from many crafting projects.

Or little perfume bottles that I've used up all the Shalimar, White Shoulders or Poison perfume and decided I just can't rid myself of the gorgeous bottles. When I get through with my Juicy Couture I promise you it'll get refurbished and shown here. :-)

I also do random thoughts once in a while.
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Random Thoughts:

Remember, the biggest lie out there is: Satan doesn't exist and One Size Fits All! I suppose that's actually two but oh well.
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House from 1979

I've been cleaning out old files lately and have several books of cutouts from old magazines I've kept for years. Now, if I was in my 30s or 40s I might just keep them, but since I'm just about older than dirt I decided to let them go, but only after I scanned them into my computer. ;-) Then I decided to share them with you. Remember, this magazine is from 1979 so that's 31 years ago, but the style of this house is truly ageless. Come see what I mean. And, bloggers, the magazine isn't the best quality since it's very old. Some photos are rather bad but I decided to share no matter what.

It's owned by a decorator in Southern California. She used pink before pink was so popular. This is her living room and her choice of fabrics for the sofa and chairs framing her fireplace are beautiful fabrics.

Her sofa table is almost like mine but mine is burgundy. It may get painted in the summer depending on what's going on, but I love her pink one.

Her other color choice is blue. I know the scan is not good but you get the gist of it.

Her dining room. It's a tad busy for me but it's gorgeous nonetheless. You'll also notice that she mixes early American colonial antiques with modern pieces in her home.

The front of her home and her dining area.

The entry way in her home.

The master bedroom. I've love to have a bedroom this big.

More to come later. Can't let ya see all the beauties in one day. :-)
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Pink Saturday 1/22/2011 Taste of Ireland

Welcome to Pink Saturday. Once again, visit Beverly to view the other participant's goodies.


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I didn't have much time to find much pink this week because I've been back and forth to Boise 4 of the 5 days so far. Today I'm staying home and resting, but I'm sharing with you my favorite porch. I honestly cannot remember where I saw this photo but I snagged it to remember what I want to do with my patio or porch. This, of course, will take time. :-) But isn't it lovely?
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One of the most extraordinary places I've ever been is Ireland. And I lived in Hawaii when I was a child. But the Irish love Americans. I love Mexico also and have been there many times. They are a gracious people. But today I'm going to show you a taste of Ireland.

Most of Ireland is small towns and they just sparkle. As I said, they are extremely friendly to Americans and go out of their way to help a tourist. We drove from Shannon over to Dublin, down to Waterford and then back to Shannon in about 10 days and stayed in many bed and breakfasts. There are limitless castles and I mean limitless. Just about every town, city, village and hamlet we saw had one. Sometimes there were some simply along the road. But today let's just visit one home that was featured in a magazine in the 80s. And yes, Ireland is green beyond measure. We were there in the month of February and it rained several days. The Irish take it in stride. If they waited to do things when it wasn't raining, they'd never get anything done.

Many scenes like this were readily available for a photoshoot. Ireland loves horses!

A beautiful yellow and red/pinkish living room.

Red dining room. Imagine having a "breakfast" area in your dining room. I think it's scrumptious.

This is what they'd call a sitting or drawing room and we'd call a family room. This home is owned by a well-to-do family, but the majority of homes are very humble and small, not at all like what most of us have here.

I once had a room painted this color of green. I got the idea from this photo. I didn't keep it long as it was so dark and felt closed in that I painted it stark white later, but had to put on 3 coats of primer. I doubt I'll ever do that again.

This is a window seat looking out over their grounds. Just beautiful.

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