Miracle of Miracles!!

Can you believe it! I actually did it!! I still have my hair and I might have screamed a few times but it wasn't heard 'round the world. I must admit that it was difficult. It took some time to just figure it out.

I just started blogging in September so I don't have the amount of pictures that some will have.
I did enjoy going through all of the pictures and figuring out what to share. The majority of pictures are of the remodel that we are doing to the house we moved into about 1 year ago.

We started the redo in February, First was the kitchen primarily because we were waiting on our contractor to get to our projects. He is very good at what he does but he, also, is so overwhelmed with jobs that you have to wait awhile. We added new appliances, sink, faucet and painted the cabinets. We added wallpaper and took down the fluorescent lighting and added a chandelier.

I also painted all of the kitchen (before the wallpaper) dining room and living room walls and doors. When our contractor finally got to us we added a laminate floor in all except the bedrooms, Completely revamped the fireplace by adding bookshelves and creating a spot for the TV that conceals with doors to which a framed print was added. When the doors are closed it just looks there is a picture there . We, also, added a new tile surround, to the hearth which we enlarged, too. Concealed behind this is all the wiring for the TV, cable box and DVD. The book cases house my large collection of decorating books.

Also you will see a picture of my antique armoire that I completely transformed by painting and antiquing it. This armoire houses part of my large collection of blue and white china. Also,several small shots of different pieces that are some of my favorites.

Some of my sentimental vignettes are also included. Some little objects that mean a lot to me.
Pictures of those closest to me. Take time to look at all of them and see just how much we have accomplished in the past year.

Next year, I am planning to start working on the bedrooms and baths and get the window curtains done for the living room and dining room. When Spring arrives I hope to get more done on the garden and yard. So here's to more creative projects and filling our home with beauty, love and happiness. I look forward to the challenge. But for now I am just SO happy to say I have made a major step in that direction.

Welcome to 2009 and all the future accomplishments we hope to attain! Happy New Year!
Wishing all of you a year filled with health, wealth and above all...LOVE!!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas!

Our Darling Molly!



Merry Christmas to you from our house to yours!

THE YEAR IN REVIEW CHALLENGE!!

The other day I went over to one of my favorite blogs. Cindy at My Romantic Home is
having a year in review mosaic on DECEMBER 29th. Those who want to can join in with their own mosaic. I don't know if I can do it but I'm going to try. So if you hear someone screaming and see hair flying you'll know it is just me trying to get it together. We'll see how it goes, so stay tuned.......<

Fireplace Decorating

Of course every fireplace should have the traditional stockings!! I don't remember exactly when or where I bought these stockings but we've had them for a long time.
I usually get the angel, Jen the Santa and the dogs share the snowman.





This angel sits on the hearth now but she used to go on the top of the tree until this year when I bought the one that is on there now. The new one has a blue apron that goes with this years tree of blue and white. Next year it will depend which color ornaments I use, to decide who will get the honor next year.





These silk poinsettias are on the mantle on each side of the "fake picture" that covers the TV. I added them to some greenery. I think they go really well with the silver and brown on the frame.

IT TOOK AWHILE BUT IT'S FINALLY UP....

Well, the past two weeks have not been too good. First of all, we have been SUPER busy at work. Lots of sick people with colds, sore throats and a lot of injuries. We
do employee health for our entire campus of about 3,000 people. Trying to get a lot of projects finished, you get the picture.

Secondly, I've been sick myself. Last Monday morning I was awakened about 3 am with the feeling that the Left side of my head was going to explode!! I had a sinus infection so I spent most of Monday in bed. Then back to work on Tuesday and try to catch up.

We finally were able to get into the garage today to try digging out our tree and decorations. I still have too much stuff in the garage but I can get my car in so
that is MAJOR progress. When I started going through the Rubbermaid containers I was shocked to see that I had 5, yes, 5 of them filled with fabric. That is in addition to all the fabric I have in the house. What's that saying the one with the biggest stash wins!! My Mom told me that she has the same problem that I do. Must be a hereditary disease. When I retire I want to make and sell pillows and other objects. I have a lot of pretty floral fabrics.

Anyway, I finally got the tree up. I have so many different color ornaments. I have
blue, pink, white and of course traditional red and green ornaments. I like angels a lot. I even have the first ornaments I made for the tree the first year I was married. That was 1964. I made little drums that I made with toilet paper cores. I covered them with red velveteen, gold cord and different color velvet ribbon trims.
We went to the local T.G.&Y. (remember them?) and bought some little plastic horns and spray painted them gold. I even made soldiers from clothes pins. It was a cute tree.

This year I to decided to do the blue and white with some of the angels. I added some of the old fashioned fans that I had made out of white paper doilies, pleated and tied with ribbon. The little angel in the Tutu is a Madame Alexander storybook doll that has been on our trees for greater than 50 years. A few crystal icicles and some mirrored ornaments that I made with fishing line and little mirrors from the craft store. The angel on the top I bought at a garage sale when we were in Mobile this past Spring.

I love some of the original trees that I have seen on some blogs but I just didn't get organized soon enough to do anything different this year. I don't have all of my greenery out and fixed but I still have some time to do it if I can.

This is a better picture!

The Fireplace is DONE!!

Partly finished




Complete with doors open




Complete with doors open




FINISHED with Doors open




COMPLETELY FINISHED!!



I finally got up the nerve to attack working on decoupaging the print onto the doors to the TV. First I painted the frame. I started with a brown base,then added some shades of green and some blue then added the silver paint. I then added some deeper brown and tried to distress the frame. Then I applied a layer of decoupage glue onto the main part of the doors. I laid the print onto the area with the glue and trimmed it with small craft knife, then I tried to smooth out the wrinkles. That part was tough but after it dried the wrinkles were pretty much gone. I let it dry for a while and then applied another thick layer that I worked around the flowers to gives it the look of being painted. It is a mat finish but with the heavy layer you can see the texture. I had a few touch ups, then let it dry.

When I came home from work today it was dry so I used a completely clean blade and put it deeply into the opening at the top of the frame and then slowly went down the opening until I came out the other end. Then I did the same thing to the middle hinged area.Then I reattached it to the hinges. I still need to do some adjusting of the hinges as it is not quite straight.


I bought the print at Michael's on sale for $7.00. I used my craft paint to paint the frame and I think the bottle of decoupage glue was $5.00. I picked this print as I wanted something that wasn't too busy as I have so much going on in the bookcases.
It also contained some blue and a background that goes with the paint and tile on the fireplace. I still have a little touch up to do but I'm pretty much finished and I'm happy with the way it looks. And just in time for Christmas!