My Chippy Door!

This is my chippy door - it leads to the cellar at my garden. I don't like that cellar, it is dark, damp and I imagine all kinds of creepy crawlies living down there. However it does have it's use. To store squash, potatoes, pumpkins, onions etc. But I still don't like it. I might if a tornado came along, AND I was down in the garden but mostly I just don't like it - until my good friend Jackie said "Put a wreath on it". Of course decorate it, why hadn't I thought of that? But it worked - it made that creepy ole cellar something of a work or art. Yes, I think I like my cellar now.

I got it!

Last October my good friend Becky was selling her antique shop/restaurant and she gave me this faux mantel that she had in her shop. She saw me one day in the store and said, "I will just drop it by your house". Two days later my friend Becky passed away before she had a chance to bring me the mantel.

Now there wasn't anything special about this mantel, I had just liked it and thought I could put it in my Cottage Garden Studio but still nothing special...until Becky was gone, and then like all things, it was just one of the ways I could hold onto her.

The mantel went into her estate and my good friends were going to bid on it when it came up for sale at the estate auction. But that didn't happen! The mantel sold during the few moments that my friend had chosen to take some stuff to her car. The lady who bought it got it and an old wash stand for $14.00. My friend. being the good friend that she is, followed the lady around until the lady consented to selling it to me.

That was last Oct. This March I got my mantel. It cost a lot more than $14.00 dollars to get it from this lady but that was ok, it was a just a little part of Becky that gave me a connection to her, I would have paid much,much more just to have it.

So...............here it is. I can't wait to do something with it. Right now, well it just sits in a corner of the living room but soon it will have a place of honor.

Funky Junk Style

A friend of mine is opening a new store - we hope. I asked if I could help decorate because I love nothing more than to decorate using money that isn't mine!! She told me she loved the funky junk style that I too so dearly love. I have been saving what Jeff calls 'crap' for years, all packed away in my someday 'cottage garden studio' and I was telling my friend how I have this collection and not doing anything with it. OK not much of a story but it set the stage for an epiphany a little later. Oh and what one man calls 'crap' another woman calls 'treasures' - ole Jeff he gives me a hard time but he brings me home more 'treasures' than not - I just had to add that little note.

Then this weekend, while organizing my scrap area I thought of the little nook in my laundry room that has no purpose and decided it was time to make it useful. So what to do, what to do?? I think I need some more storage, would like to have a place for my sewing machine that I don't use but would if I had a place to put it. I will eventually need a place to put my old extra large chair that will soon need to be removed from the living room. What else could I use this space for and what to decorate it with? And then I thought of my conversation with my friend and the crap I mean junk I have been saving and thought why not - so now here I am on a journey to find inspiration for my funky junk.  I went here - one of my favorite blogs to help out. This gals decorating is just amazing to me. Her name is  Donna and you can visit her site here: http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/ She has so many amazing ideas that I could never begin to tell you about them all. If you have some time stop on over and check out her site. Right now I am going to read her post about PC to Mac review.................... and below, well here are just a few photos I have found that gave me some more ideas.

AND.........I have the stairs to do this!!

I will be taking some before photos of my area and then I am going to strip it down; finish scrapping the walls and repaint and then.............let the fun begin!

Upcoming Events!

Just when I think it is slowing down I find it's NOT! I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that November is here and well...on it's way out. Here's what is going on in my world.

Baby Lucas will turn 1 on Nov. 21st. His birthday is on a Sunday and we are five hours away. Jeff has to work Sat. and well probably Monday so it will be a short, fast trip but I can't miss it.

My days are spent getting ready for the Historical Christmas Dinner. Getting entertainment has been and will always be my biggest challenge. We have tapped out almost all of our local resources, the college, the churches, the schools, friends.......but still I have some great entertainment on the line up this year. Last year the bell ringers were a great hit, hard to top that but I have some wonderfully talented people coming this year.

As always decorating is such a big part of Christmas. Besides decorating Brick 17 I have to decorate for the Historical Dinner, the employee Christmas party and if any energy is left, my house. No I am NOT complaining because I love, love, love to decorate - time however plays a big part on enjoyment of the season. AND it can get really chilly in the highranger putting lights on a 3 story building in the middle of Nov.

Cutting up greenery and making wreaths, centerpieces and decorations for 200 people can take some major planning but it is well worth it. This year has a patriotic theme along with the usual Christmas decor. 

I am excited to decorate my tree this year, I don't know if I will ever tire of this chore. I have to be careful because Jeff hates &  complains so much about early decorating. In his world perfect would be decorating on Christmas Eve, take it down Dec. 26th...........no better yet, don't do it at all. Not that he helps in anyway but he sure let's me know how much he hates me doing it. What is with that??? I have never understood. Oh what the heck, at this point I think we are home alone for Thanksgiving so why not decorate on my 4 day weekend, or better yet, next week when  I am home alone during deer season.

Then there is deer season, now  why would I have this on my list of to do's? I hate guns, and more than that, killing something, but working for Game and Parks during hunting season is like being a quarterback during football season. We work long days and stay open 16 hours a day 7 days a week.

And then there is Thanksgiving.....I will be cooking rather it is a 20 lb. turkey or 8. I will still be cooking something for Jeff and myself and maybe two of the boys. And when Jeff takes off to the station up comes the tree if it isn't already. Tee Hee!!

And then I did it...yes I did! I agreed to host something at my house for the progressive dinner. I can't wait for that. We get to see all these beautiful homes, we get to decorate and then eat, drink and be MERRY!!

So what's on your plate in November? 

Good Bye Fall............

Hello Christmas.........

Ta Da...it's done!

Ok, I have been talking about changing my kitchen from tulips to ummmmm warm colors, not sure what you could call it but I love fall and all the colors and the red sunflowers in my new plates just made me want to do something different. We still have the floor to do but hubby and I can't decide, or should I say agree, on the flooring. I want ceramic tile, he wants Pergo laminated looking wood. Hope I win! Thank you Angie for everything.



Hobby Lobby had a great sale, I already had a couple of their pieces and then added to it with the swags and wreath below.


One of my inspiration pieces!


My homemade cupboards with my homemade curtains - I bought an extra curtain to make them. The pitcher, platter and tea pot is from Brandi's wedding, just one of those things I can't part with.

I coulnd't believe my luck when I found this sunflower rug at Lowes and it turned out to be on sale. How great was that?


My little table and chairs. They need to be replaced but haven't found what I want yet! Pretty hard to get all of us around this table even when all the leaves are put in. I got these no tie cushions for a little bit of nothing at Wal Mart.


The top of the hutch. The sign is in honor of a friend who died a few years ago.


The China Hutch that hubby bought me a few years ago as an anniversary present, in wood of course.


Oak leaves in my very large pitcher!


I have never been able to just put this jar in the cupboard, we bought it for Brandi's shower and I love it! You can see the golden brown color of one of my paint schemes. The colors are from Martha Stewart and far from the khaki (sp) green I was looking for - but they matched the curtains so well.


My curtains and window topper. Curtains came from Wally World and were a little bit of a disappointment but I like it now that it is all done. Unfortunately I missed the bottom of the curtain where the tassels are. One of the reasons I bought them. I ordered them on line, probably won't do that again. Lessons learned.


This little guy fits right in - he probably will go back into storage the day after Thanksgiving but for right now, he is sitting pretty in the kitchen


Couldn't help myself......the pumpkin soup bowl was on sale at Hobby Lobby.

Inspirations

I am always looking for new ways to decorate, especially when it comes to fall, my most favorite time of the year as many as you well know. Better Homes and Gardens is just one of the best places to gather ideas and inspiration. Here is an idea for all of you who don't want to spend a lot of money but would love to craft a little fall wreath.