I’d like to introduce you to one of my new blog friends, Jenny Butler of Simply Delightful Designs.  She is the monther of three who stumbled into the blog design field.  Her services are so desireable, she has a waiting list!  I love the look of her designs and the fact that she offers free advice, tips, and backgrounds for your blog. Since I am not a blog expert, I asked her to share some advice to grow your blog and make it more reader friendly.  What I got from her was funny and honest advice about what to do and what not to do. So, without further delay, here’s Jenny!   “I don’t want my blog to grow” “No thanks, I don’t want you to come back and visit” “No, I’d rather not earn money from my blog” “Please don’t subscribe to anything I’m offering” If your blog could

Well, I was in bed by 7:30 tonight, socked out with a nasty cold.  For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know I am a busy girl and I like using every minute of my day.  When I’m in bed during my prime work time, you know I don’t feel well.  So, I thought I would share some results of my new toy, my mat cutter.  I’ve wanted one for years and I finally asked for the Logan Intermediate 450 for Christmas this year.  I have a box full of old family photos that I’ve wanted to frame, but it would cost a fortune to have them all custom framed.  Since they are old, they are unusual sizes, so store bought mats and frames generally wouldn’t work.  So, with my new mat cutter, I can find old frames when I’m out and about and cut my own mats.  Over

Some of you may have noticed a small addition to my side bar.  I have, at long last, opened my Etsy store.  I’ve been promising that I would for a while and here it is.  I only have a few things listed to start, but new items will be added regularly.  So, for those of you who cannot make it to our physical shop in downtown Gettysburg, PA, you can buy my hand painted items in your jammies from the comfort of your own home.  Some of my painted items currently listed are my hand painted lily pad lamp… …the oil rubbed bronze swing arm lamp with a hemp twine shade… …a hand painted vintage enamel pot lid… …and this hand painted wood cake pedestal. I’ll also be listing some vintage and antique pieces that I find in addition to some pieces found by the owner of our shop (who has

Welcome to Part 3 of the Workshop Series brought to you by Mustard Seed Creations and Funky Junky Interiors!  Before you muster up the courage to paint some flowers, remember that Donna is guiding you through determining your needs for setting up your work space this week.  Reading her post really helped me think through how to approach my workshop space that I share with my woodworking husband.  Make sure you visit her post when you’re done here.  You need to have a great area to create all of that beautiful hand painted furniture you’re going to be working on this year, right? Ok, some of you may be thinking, “I am not interested in painting frilly froo-froo 80’s countrified things like flowers.”  Just stick with me.  Hand painted floral pieces can be timeless, sophisticated, and modern.  (And, yes, Donna, even funky)  It all depends on the style of flowers, technique and

I am over the moon this afternoon because my husband was able to install the half canopy I made for our bed.  I have wanted one of these for years and have never had the guts to put that much fabric into one project.  I’m not sure why…but at long last, here it is.  French country is my thing and the toile fabric and the style of the canopy really emphasize that without being over the top. Don’t mind the pillows.  I just wrapped some extra fabric around them for the picture, so there’s still a lot of sewing ahead of me.  The fabric makes the bed feel so cozy and gives the room a clear focal point.  I hope to find a queen bed frame that I’m in love with at some point that will look perfect nestled under this.  I have also added a high boy or wardrobe style dresser and

Last night I went to bed late after working on my half canopy for several hours.  I was so excited to wake up this morning and have some time to finish and install it.  Well, the bug that has passed from my 3 year old to my 1 1/2 year old finally passed to my husband and he was in bed all day, sick as a dog.  Sigh.  I was able to get all of the sewing and construction completed once the kiddos were in bed, but it won’t get installed today.  Do you have any idea how much it is killing me to have it sitting on my dresser?  I’m dying here!  Hubby’s hoping he’ll feel better tomorrow and we’ll get it up, then.  I don’t want to speak too soon, but this may be one of my favorite things I’ve ever made.  I am over the moon about it

This has been a crazy day for me and I totally forgot to announce an exciting event!  I am the guest blogger over at Somewhat Simple today.  Steph and I tripped over each other’s blogs one day and connected immediately.  She has one of the top “mommy blogs” out there and features beautiful photos, fun projects, organizational tips, mean planning, and much more.  If you have not seen her blog, check it out! Furniture Feature Friday is open through Saturday at midnight, so scroll down to participate!

First of all the winner of the doves from CSN Stores, chosen by True Random Number Generator, is #223 – Susan from Peanut Petunia!  Congratulations! As most of you know, I’ve been working on my master bedroom and it’s my vanity’s turn for a makeover.  This vanity is a special piece to me because it belonged to my grandmother and namesake since she was a little girl.  It had a maple finish with lots of dings, chips, and a cigarette burn when it became mine.  I painted it a creamy white with blue detail a couple of years ago.  Since then, I’ve learned a lot about refinishing and painting furniture. I also learned that painted white tops do not wear very well.  So, I decided to strip it down and refinish the top in my favorite dark walnut stain. It took 4 coats of wipe-on poly in gloss to get a nice,