My life is to make everything around me beautiful.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

My Day at Joanns Fabrics


If you read about my trip to Joanns a few days back, here is what I bought that day. It just felt good to go in and buy some things I've been wanting! First, a feather boa.


Remember this lampshade I did a few years ago and just moved from the family room to the living room? Well, take another look below.


Seeing a recent lamp with feathers on it gave me this idea for the bottom of the shade instead of a piece of scrap lace.


I like this much better.


And all it took was part of a feather boa glued around the bottom.


At night with lights on.


Smiling. :-)


Cute


Also this is the bucket I bought to hold my wrapping paper. I may paint it white, however.


I found this little straw dispenser on their 70% off aisle and snatched it right up for a few dollars. Score!


These darling ice cream dishes for about $2.00 each were a plus since we got the new ice cream maker and have been making ice cream 2 or 3 times a week.


Miss Caroline wasn't forgotten. I bought her this plate for when she comes to visit Nana.


I bought 3 boas just in case I have something else to decorate with them.
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I think this little cottage along side the road is adorable.


Would you look at this cute apron?


Gonna celebrate my shopping day with cupcakes!
~*~
Linking up with Make It Pretty.
and
WOW 

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Laundry Rooms 3

Just look at the different things you can add to a laundry room to jazz it up a bit.


Starting with laundry area storage. I like the way this homeowner has displayed her lovely items and the wallpaper on the inside of this cabinet and lace trim along with it, much like I do in my laundry room.


Bright and sunny, small and compact and perfect!


A little froufrou never hurts either. ;-) Love the ruffled laundry bag, which is available at Urban Outfitters if you're intereted.


Elegant laundry in a basement-type area.


I think I've shown this one before months ago on my blog but it definitely deserves a second look.


Pop of red color helps out this tiny area.


Darling and nostalgic. Lots of cute momentos and lace.


An unusual color but very pretty.


Another unusual color done cute.


An easily done vignette for a laundry room. Cheap also is my guess.


This has to be in a basement because of the high window and the drain on the floor for flooding. But look how cute they made it and not dreary for the lady of the house to work in.


This has to be a favorite of mine because of the bright red color. Well done!


This has most of the elements of a room I'd like to work in.


Lots of storage here.


Stainless steel appliances with old rustic metal wash bins. Lots of ambiance in this room.
~*~
Linking up with At The Picket Fence.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Looking For a New Sofa

I decided a couple of weeks ago it's time for a new sofa. I've had this one for almost 20 years and it still looks fantastic, but I want a new one. I think it's time for a new one. Sheeesh, almost 20 years?! My granddaughter loves this sofa so it's going over to her home. She actually squealed when I told her she could have it if she wanted it.

She and her hubby have been looking at homes for about 2 years now and couldn't find one they liked until recently. They made a full price offer of $729,000 and waited all day to hear. The realtor said someone else made an offer $750,000— $21,000 over the asking price. They got it and granddaughter was very disappointed. It had everything they wanted for their growing family. They're rapidly outgrowing the home they're in now. That's the real estate market in the Seattle, Washington, area at the moment. You can name your asking price and actually get more for it. I was sad for her but they'll soon find one they like.

So in deciding that I'm going to get a new one, I've been scouring the internet for looks I might want. Ethan Allen will definitely be where I buy it though. Their sofas are far superior to any I've ever had before or seen in other people's homes. I'd love suggestions from any of you. You can see the one I have now:

But I'm seriously considering something like this one, which you'll recognize as my absolutely favorite room ever:

So my dilemma is one with a tight, tucked back or loose pillows for seat and back.  I think I'll stick with 2 cushions if I decide on cushions. I like the roominess of 2 cushions. We rarely have a group at our home so I don't need a 3 cushion one and really don't like their looks as much as 2 cushion seating. What are some of your thoughts on this? I probably haven't considered every single factor yet.
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This is the vacation of a famous person. I'm not going to tell you immediately. But it pierced my heart like none other could. Isn't it fantastic? I love this home.

Family room


Dining or game room


Kitchen and breakfast area.


Cabinets in the kitchen. Would you look at the pink? I. LOVE. IT!


A room for collections. Looks like it could be a garden potting area also.


Bedroom.


Master bathroom.


Bedroom.


Living room.


Porch.


For you Marie Antoinette lovers.


Isn't this evening bag darling?


A cute tag.


A lovely paper lantern.


Quaint small dining area with elegant chandelier.

 Ooooh, and I almost forgot! That first house above is Kirstie Alley's vacation home in Maine. I saw it one day while looking for houses for my granddaughter.
~*~
Linking up with WOW.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Ramblin' About a Few Things

 These are all roses I've made or cuffs I've made.
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Okay as a doting great grandmother here's another video of Caroline learning her dance steps. It's 5 minutes long but you don't have to watch it if you don't want. But I'm her great grandmother so I get to post it. See how this works? LOL

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A few weeks ago while filling out the Pre-Op registration for surgery, one of the questions on one of the many forms had a question at the very bottom: Is there anything else we should know about you or your family. I wondered to myself if they didn't have enough already! But, as you all know, if you don't follow the rules, you don't get to play the game. So I put on there for that last question: Yes, we're a very humorous family. Hubs saw it and said, 'Maybe you should put on there I like model trains.' So I did! The nurse looked at it and smiled. She was very polite and informative as she had had the exact same surgery years ago. I listened intently. I don't think she had much of a sense of humor, certainly not to my obnoxious level, but she did smile. I liked her a lot.
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My hubs, Love Bunny, is frequently asking me 'why' I do a lot of things I do. I simply tell him I'm OCD and he can get over it. That's just the way things are with me. He sighs, we kiss, and go on...MY way, of course.
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Hubs and I are pretty different as many people have told us. So what? We love each other and that's all that matters, but he does have a little quirk that drives me crazy. If I ask him a question, he rarely answers yes or no, but 'okay' as if that's an answer to a question that has a definite choice, not just yes or no. Example: Do you want steak or hamburger for dinner? Answer: Okay. See what I mean. Drives me insane!
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Several days ago I was perusing the internet looking for images to post on here and came across some unique blogs. But there was one of just photos and I noticed the comments on this one blogger's photos. She had one with 674 comments, one with 2,112, one with 3,357, one with 4,335, one with 8,748, one with 8,999, one with 9,114, one with 32,200, one with 36,900 and one with 60,760 comments! I couldn't believe it.  I didn't read the comments but I wonder why that  blog would generate so many comments. Most I've ever seen by far. A few hundred would boggle my mind but 60,760? Wow!
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I eat french fries because it's the vehicle I use to get the ketchup to my mouth.
I eat carrots as the vehicle to get the ranch dressing to my mouth.
I eat salads to get the balsamic vinaigrette to my mouth.
I eat fish because I love fish and it's the vehicle for getting tartar sauce or cocktail sauce to my mouth.
I eat pancakes/waffles as the vehicle for getting maple syrup to my mouth.
I eat biscuits as the vehicle for the butter and jam delivery to my mouth.
French bread is the vehicle for butter with garlic powder.
Without these vehicles I'd be a very sloppy mess.
I just love vehicles!!  :-)
~*~

A beautiful home in a warm climate, perhaps Florida or California.


This simply points to the old adage: never throw anything away. You’ll find a decorative use for it some day.


Another exquisite lamp I’d love in my home, especially that gorgeous lampshade.


An old lantern lending ambiance to a home.


I simply found this photo stunning.


The pinkish hue to this old building along with the elegant dinner party setting is just so lovely and serene.


Bright colors from probably a Scandinavian country. I found the photos from there so sunny and bright I can recognize them. Plus their women are very good at home crafts.


A peaceful setting, but I found those unique lamps a bit over the top!


This tiny home suggests its homeowner has great organizational skills for such a small place. Very cute!


Some of my favorite flowers, hydrangeas. Ours are blooming madly right now.


A beautiful French chateau.


Another beautiful home.


Just drip pearls over an old dull chandelier and this is what you get.


A rolling cart to hold essentials. Neat idea.


And last but not least, a gorgeous set of pretty pillows.
~*~
Linking up with Mosaic Monday.