Details.......Thrifting, Kid's Rooms & Clothing

Old door headboard, found a vintage number 7 in our shed and no doubt from our house as #7 resides in our address. I almost threw it away until I looked at it before a toss was made into the trash can.
European laundry tape with Zach's initials, glued onto the headboard. I love glue. Oh, and vintage initial laundry tape!

 Pillow made with vintage materials, soft orange pillow Marshall's.

{3/24/12}

 Better than a visit to Anthro!  Digging at my favorite vintage place! Thrifty to boot.
*Pair of cotton curtains {to go above Vivi's big girl bed, will be a little while yet!}
*Tablecloth for outside entertaining
*Party hats.....I would so wear these! {& I can! haha}
*Remnants of fabric for this and that.
*Religious cards & a calling card, the font is swell.
*Tennyson's book of poems, love old books. {although I don't read much poety? hmmm.}
*Petite crocheted piece......paper attached with directions, handwritten. I couldn't leave it, for 50 cents? A lovely "prop"!

 Tablecloth was around $5.00.

{Vivian's Room}

 See the old button cards? I used to shop with my mother at the place where these came from. They were the samples on the outside of an old La Mode display cabinet. I was tickled to find them as the new owners were selling all the "good, old stuff". They are purely beautiful nostalgia for me.
{Except for the Barbara Schriber baby hanging card, everything is vintage on the wall.}

 Dress looks vintage it is not, her first dress from Anthro {clearance ladies!}. Vivi will wear this fall.

Smock boxes stacked neat & tidy.

 Sweet books for childhood......Always on the lookout for vintage books.

 Vintage coat purchase around 2003. Before I had kids, see it all worked out.

 $3.00 handmade coat with tag that says "Made by Mommy" I'm not that mommy! Anyway, someone did a fab job, the workmanship is impeccable. The bonnet {not shown} is darling.

 Goodwill via Darcy. I call it the "Madeline coat"and it will be fun to come up with something to wear with this. Of, course it needs a jaunty hat with it!

 It took me a year to figure out that I must buy this vintage rack. It was $20.00 and why it took me so long?  It works perfectly in her room as there is no closet. An armoire and this rack is her closet!
Why, yes there is a plastic swan residing on top of the rack.......I tuck hats, etc. in her. {It's called cheap, creative storage and it fits perfectly in a little girl's room.}

I couldn't resist the tissue balls, know they are everywhere! However, they are cheery and they give something fun for wee ones to peek at. The pennants are gold silk. All the store stuff is moved out of here, we did that awhile ago. Still needs some fine tuning. The chandelier is broken and have a new one that needs wired in.

Have a happy, happy week!

In Full Bloom......

 Not kidding when I say we have watched the grass turn green overnight..... The leaves are poppin' out with flurry.......

We are weeding, planting garden and running barefooted across the fresh cut lawn. Not a normal March for Ohio. No complaints from us. A surprise blessing from above. Thank you.

Cutting branches from our petite orchard.......

 Visits to the playground........

Warm weather + kids = pure joy!

Grandparents day at school for Luke.  Vivian loves her Grandma Sheryl! {Matt's mom}

Pretty Things

Just wanted to pop in and say good night......

Last two nights I have been posting late. {for me}

I tucked my recent paper-y purchases from BHLDN in pretty glassware & lab flasks, etc.

*See the last pair of scissors below? They're bankers scissors, part of my Christmas gift

from Darcy. They are swell, no?*

I'm known for hanging things from my chandeliers. 

Well, why not? Life's too short not to have some fun.

night.

xo

8/9/10

Summer is about gathering at friends {Jill's fun party}

We sure love ribbon the colors of gelato tucked in clear bags..........

Summer is all about water...........

Boards are up on walls & ceiling-----I can't believe it! Now for the closet & wall by washer & dryer............

Sink & faucet are picked out, I'll show you soon what I decided on. Part of taking so long was meeeee! I take forever making decisions especially when it comes to a room that we'll use a ton.

I posted today's date in the title as I was hoping to have a baby on this day. 8/9/10 now isn't that swell! Well, it hasn't happened yet! 

It's been a relaxing summer as I have been taking it easy. There has been some flurry in getting baby's room together and getting Zach's new bed set up. I need the crib for the new little one! 

The fuss has been that I have had severe pregnancy insomnia since about the 2nd week of June.

The lack of sleep drives me crazy, and I'm amazed what I have gotten accomplished.  There are some days I just sit a lot and watch the boys play. 

k

Progress

Graduation gift wrapped........{1 more to go, eeeek}
Strawberry shortcake with a layer of fresh whipped cream.........{yum}
My dad's 66th birthday.................{A milk bucket from his childhood, filled with soda.}
1 of 4 Clover & Bee projects we completed..........{this one is now up here!}
Last Saturday Jill & I hauled these 3 stinkers, oops I mean cuties to town...............{Luke was in heaven with these two girlies. I thought he would never calm down, he was so excited. Usually it's just mom & him.}
I came home to a laid, salvaged wood floor after shopping..................{Thanks Travis & Matt!!}

Now for sanding and putting the finish on. Really, all the fun things now---walls, bead-board ceiling, trim & decorating-- woohoo! 

I researched whitewashing for the boards to go on the walls. I'm so happy to have finally decided on this--paint, whitewash, paint.........{Whitewash it is! & thanks to those that put their 2 cents into that decision, I'm grateful!}

Darcy's coming tomorrow---the first since before her back incident. She is doing well, mobile and slowing getting into the groove of things. 

I need to clean, clean the upstairs so we can get inspired and get things done. We have been putting things off for far too long. We are working on something and fingers crossed we'll get to share with you next week.

k & d too

Company's Coming!

My agenda for May was cleaning & more cleaning + fluffing for company. Goodness, I was looking forward to seeing two of my peeps. We haven't seen them & their families for 3 years!

You know how it is, nothing like company coming to get a flurry of sprucing done! {ask my husband about this--I drove him nuts!}

This cabinet was painted french country reds, yellows, blue and it was ready for a fresh look. I was married in the late 90's and that look was everywhere! Remember when Toile fabric was a must? This silly thing took me forever to finish. I always think painting takes no time at all, ha!

1st, primer by Valspar to go over glossy finishes, as this had a wax finish on it. Then, 2 or was it 3 coats of paint? I then rubbed a brown stain over the entire thing---oops my husband did that. Last, putting a wax finish on it. {Note to self: finish as you only did part of it}
Jill of sew a fine seam made me new pillows. I choose linen fabric with a flat ruffle on the ones toward the back. The front ones have a simple piping. The middle long pillow was made with fabric I have had for 8 years. I purchased the fabric at one of Nell Hill's store in Kansas. Jill was actually with me & my mom on that trip. Good grief, took me long enough to use it. It's a good thing I still liked it!
My CA friends: Karen on the left & Joy on the right.  Darcy was able to pop in to visit too! 

Now onto finishing up some Clover & Bee projects.  Next week I will hopefully get back in gear with the website. That is bugging me immensely. {Note to self: you were supposed to have that task done already!}

Then there is the mudroom project........aaaaaaaaccccccckkkkkkkk! {at least the subfloor was put down before company came!}

k

The Weekend Flea!

Off we go to flea, flea, flea---------I purchased the power breakfast sandwich at Panera that morning and had a yummy black cherry smoothie. Hope that made up for the bucket of fries I had later for lunch?? Ok, I did share with Jill!
Loving the packaging around this remnant piece. They were into the details back-in-the-day!
Some yardage of  vintage fabric I purchased that I will have my talented seamstress make into bags for me. Please note I do more for her than just make her chocolate brownies for sewing! I was laughing at my slipcover post and realized that people must think she is crazy!! 

What are the odds? I found a locket with the initials "M B" on it. How perfect for McKell's 13th birthday! I hope to finish making a necklace of some sort with it.......by  her birthday, August 22nd & along with Zach's baby book......before baby #3 arrives! Say a prayer for me!

 McKell's middle initial is "B" and what are the chances of finding something like that? I was even more tickled that I wasn't even looking for such a petite thing!

{p.s. we have no idea what we're having, this is new for us as we knew with the other two--surprise, suprise!}

I came across a huge, thick book from Sherwin-Williams, circa 1941 on painting your home from the inside out. Oh, the architecture it contained, loving this! I'm smitten by 1920's t0 1940's homes.  This book contains a wealth of pictures for me to digest, so happy I did indeed buy it. The price was friendly to boot!
Love, love steep roof lines.........
Exterior paint samples from the book---everything was intact and in superb condition!
Looky at the cute outdoor furniture & the paint schemes........
While we were cutting between a tent I spotted this. I have no idea what it was used for, but my plants seem happy in it. There is a larger opening in the center and stuck a yet to be planted 1 gallon peony in it. I plan on using this for a Clover & Bee project. 

{always take the less traveled path---never know what you'll spot!}

Enjoy your week!

k

My "Modest" Slipcover

As you know I've been editing our farmhouse. The living room is now freshly painted and for a long time "all the legg-y" chairs & sofa were bothering me. The chairs were sportin' mini skirts and indecent dress. I finally had this chair slipcover with a floor length skirt. Now my furniture can stop blushing! Too many legs were showing & feel this has really made this room sing.

This slipcover really softens the room---& covers those legs!
Ottoman covered and loving it!

I have loved scallops ever since I spotted scalloped liners in baskets & tablecloths at this darling store on Rue de Bac in Paris in 2000. {The store is Le Rideau de Paris 32, Rue de Bac, 32 -Paris 7e} I still have the lovely paper bag, more like a piece of art, that a purchase was tucked into!

My talented seamstress* helped me, she did the ottoman and did most of the chair. Oh, I did help with some of it--but, mainly keeping us fed with iced chocolate brownies as it takes brain power to make these things!! Now just need to wash the chair slipcover to get our markings out and then put the velcro in to secure the slipcover in the back.
{Note* my talented seamstress is Jill of Sew a Fine Seam}

k
{darcy has been to two rounds of physical therapy--- she's going stir crazy, but rest will help her heal}