Move Mountains In Your Home
I'll start off with the victories. I made it through the first block (4 weeks) of P90x. I can already see and feel improvements in my fitness and have lost some pounds and inches. I'm going for walks with my family and teaching my six year old how to play tennis. I'm finding some balance, so everything isn't about blogging, antiques, home projects, writing and photography. It's been great … [Read more...]
I decided today to share one of my favorite recipes of late...polenta & veggie stuffed red peppers. And they are around 275 calories for an entire pepper! Now, I've never been a huge fan of peppers...until I overlooked the price tag and bought red, orange and yellow peppers. Oh my. They are sweet and delicious cooked or raw. So, the idea of stuffed peppers never appealed to me until … [Read more...]
Back in August, I spent an afternoon crafting or a "crafternoon" with Emily... ...and we made a herringbone cork board for her jewelry. (She's such a cute, teeny-tiny thing, isn't she?) Well, last week she asked if she could come over again. This time, she wanted to make a place for her sunglasses out of some lace and a cheap frame. She wanted to paint the frame a minty color and I … [Read more...]
This weekend, I have another jewelry giveaway for you! I'd like to introduce you to Lucy from bel monili. She makes beautiful accessories out of vintage baubles and sells them in her Etsy shop. Here are some of her pieces that are my favorite... Lucy of bel monili is offering up a $35 shop credit to spend in her Etsy shop. Interesting in winning? Here's how to … [Read more...]
Good evening everyone. Before we get going on our furniture festivities, I want to say thanks for all of your supportive comments on Tuesday's post. It really does mean a lot to me to know I have cheerleaders and girls who are going to hold me accountable. I will definitely keep you updated! Now for FFF. Here are my favorites from last week... I picked this dresser as a favorite before … [Read more...]
Last week I worked on organizing all of the junk (and good stuff) in my basement. I then worked on sorting and pricing and ended up with two main piles. One is the pile of stuff that I need to do something to - paint, upholster, fix, etc... The other main pile is stuff that is priced and ready to go... ...and now my basement is starting to fill up with things that are ready to be … [Read more...]
As I mentioned in THIS POST, I'm making some changes in my life to be healthier and lose some weight. I owned up to gaining 30 lbs since I started blogging. I didn't gain weight because of the blog. I gained weight because I didn't make my health a high priority. That changed last August when I kicked processed foods to the curb and became a vegetarian. Some of you have asked for more … [Read more...]
Some of you may know that The Graphics Fairy/Karen and I are good friends. She's one of only a few people I actually talk to on the phone regularly and she's been such a wonderful mentor and encouraging influence in my life. She's the one who got me into Lucketts as a vendor, first selling furniture out of her space. So, a few weeks ago, we were catching up on the phone and she says … [Read more...]
You know what I love? Other than bread and butter, which we established a couple of days ago, I love that with all of the creativity in the blog world, there is still room for uniqueness. Do you know what I mean? A lot of us make similar projects, shop for similar things and have similar tastes, but the way everything is put together is unique. I see the same thing in a lot of the girls … [Read more...]
I'm still working my way through them, but I have loved reading the random bits about all of you. Yes, I do read the comments you leave and I have laughed out loud at some of the funny things you have shared. We could start a little club with people who have freakish thumbs and don't like mushrooms. Funny stuff. Anyway, I mentioned having a guest picker for FFF now and then and one of my … [Read more...]
I was going to write about balancing blogging and life, but doing that would mean staying up past my "bedtime" and not being very balanced, so I thought I would just share a bit about myself. Some random tidbits that might make you laugh or make you feel like we're long-lost kindred spirits... I try to squeeze every little bit of toothpaste out of the tube. If there's a pea-sized glob … [Read more...]
A few weeks ago, I got the auction itch. I need to find things for Lucketts and auctions are a great way to get a bunch of things in one place...sometimes. So, I browsed online to see what was up for sale at an auction I used to frequent. I saw something that made me pick up the phone immediately and place an absentee bid - ironstone. Lots of ironstone. Three boxes of sugar bowls (sans … [Read more...]
Those of you who have read my blog for a long time are familiar with the weeks leading up to the Lucketts Antique Market in May. It's always a frenzy of shopping, painting/repairing/refinishing/upholstering furniture, getting together fillers and old standbys as well. For those of you who aren't familiar with this event, it's held once a year (the third weekend in May) on the grounds of The … [Read more...]
As I've been organizing things in my current home, I came across some pictures of the first home my husband and I owned. We had lived in apartments and even my in-law's basement (which wasn't as bad as it sounds), but this was the first home we could really work on. And boy, we didn't mess around. I bought about ten gallons of paint even before we signed the closing papers. My DIY-juices … [Read more...]
Well, today I turned the big three-five. It was a quiet day that I spent catching up on e-mail and doing a bit more shopping. I found a bunch of great ironstone...happy birthday, indeed! :) I had a very nice dinner with my husband, parents and in-laws at a beautiful 1776 tavern in Gettysburg called The Dobbin House. I even got a fudge brownie a la mode with a … [Read more...]
Today I went out antique shopping for the Lucketts fair with my mother-in-law and mom. It's been a while since I've been out looking for goodies, but the Lucketts May Fair is fast approaching and I've got to build up my inventory. I saw these cool arched shutters, but didn't buy them because they were too expensive. I did come home with two wooden crates. One of them had this great … [Read more...]
I knew I wanted to install a new sink when we were putting in new counters. The sink we had was an enamel-coated cast iron sink that was full of scratches and chips and water was always hanging around the lip. So, when I was looking for a new sink, I considered a farmhouse-style sink, but I already hated having a white sink (think coffee settling into all of the fine scratches and looking … [Read more...]
Recently, I've been buying up some vintage European linens. From France... ...Germany... ...and I just got a shipment in from Hungary... I'm buying most of them for upholstery/slipcovering projects for pieces to sell at the Lucketts fair, some to sell as-is and a few to keep (like the monogram French sheet.) I just love old textiles, especially linen and hemp. I … [Read more...]
I shared yesterday about my health/weight/etc. and had some requests to share more of the recipes I make, so I thought I would. As I shared, I became a vegetarian last August. I was a vegetarian in high school for a brief period, but to me that meant I ate big bowls of noodles with butter. As a vegetarian now, I focus on eating vegetables (and fruit.) And I eat vegetables, not other foods … [Read more...]
I'm going to take a deep breath and own up to something. Since starting this blog, and mostly since my business has really taken off, I have gained 30 lbs. (It hurts just to write that.) A year ago, I had to have my gallbladder removed and it was a wake up call to me. Well, I hit the snooze button a few times, but last summer, I started making changes. I wrote THIS POST about the … [Read more...]
All of my honorary moms (and Breida) will be pleased to know that I finally redeemed my 1/2 spa day gift certificate...the one I got for my birthday...last April. I don't know who in the world waits almost a year to have a massage, pedicure and manicure done, but apparently I am that foolish girl. My nails look pretty, I got all oiled up and pampered. It was really nice. If anyone … [Read more...]
I love how my bedroom looks, but more than that, I LOVE my bed. I don't know if I've ever had a bed I loved. It's always been adequate. I used to giggle when I slid into freshly washed sheets as a kid, but that's about the strongest feeling I've had about a bed...until now. In January, we bought the new bed frame, which was my dream bed and I caught it on clearance, and a new mattress. … [Read more...]
It's finally done! Well...you know what "done" means in my house. It means I'm done with it for now. Although, aside from changing paint colors and/or accessories, I don't think there's much more I can or need to do to this room. I've always been drawn to white cabinets with dark counters (wood or black) and a wood or white floor. Now I have it! Here's a tour... … [Read more...]
I'm having one of those days where I feel like I could write about five blog posts. I just want to chat and tell you what I've been up to, what plans I have and some things that are are my mind. The past few days, I've been in much more of a "doing mood" than a "taking-pictures-and-talking-about-it" mood. And now I feel like chatting, but I don't have a ton of time to write those five blog … [Read more...]
I put some more time into the kitchen yesterday, but my "honorary moms" who worry about me doing to much, will be happy to know that I took a bit of a break today. I did still get some things done, like editing photos and proofreading articles, but nothing major. Yesterday, we got most of the range hood completed. I will say that it gives one a moment of pause when sunlight is pouring into … [Read more...]
