I Did It!!

 I actually put my tree in an urn!

 

I just wanted to wish everyone.....

Happy Holidays!

Warmly,

Oh what to do, what to do......

At any given time in my house you may see something

sitting around with the price tag still on.

Sometimes it will be there for weeks 

depending on what the return policy is on that item.

My husband has learned over the years not to ask.

He knows the answer will always be the same.

"I just need to look at it for a while!"

I am sure you all do this from time to time.

I've had this crazy little number balancing on my bench

in the hallway for about 3 weeks now!

Hmmm....what to do?!!

I have had nothing above this bench for.... oh maybe a year now.

Just waiting for the perfect thing to catch my eye.

Then I was in World Market getting a few things 

and I saw this funky circle painting.

I love the colors. I love the size. I love the circles.

I like an element of surprise in a room, you know,

something to catch ones eye!

~But~

as I have said before my home is kinda 

English Cottage meets French Country.

 Mostly it's just eclectic.

 I know that eclectic is a catchall for someone 

who throws together all kinds of styles.

But....eclectic is really my personality!

I dress my self and decorate my home 

depending on my mood at any given time.

I buy what I love at the time, knowing that eventually

my mood will change and I may or may not love it anymore!

Although when it comes to big ticket items 

I try to buy more traditional (safe) pieces.

But when it comes to accessories 

I tend to go with what trips my trigger at the time.

 

So.....

do I keep the funky inexpensive circle painting?

Do I frame it?

(Remembering that a frame will cost way more the the painting!)

Do I hang things on either side of it?

Or put something large on the floor on one side 

or the other of the bench? 

I think I'll decide next week.....

I just need to look at it for a while longer.

I mean, I have at least 10 more days till I have to return it!

Until next week,

New and Inproved!!

Do you remember several months ago when I 

did a post on fire pits?

Click HERE to refresh your memory.

If your anything like me you will need to click....

{I can't seem to remember anything anymore!}

As much as I disliked the old fire pit I really didn't think that it

would be a project that we would get to this year.

 You see my husband as with most men,

didn't think there was anything wrong with the old one!

{I bet you've all heard that one before! lol!}

Any Who...we decided to extend the concrete on the end of the pool.

We needed more room for chairs because that seems to be 
the place where the sun shines the most.

So out came the fence!

 In came the new concrete.

We went with exposed aggregate.

Because we knew we couldn't match

the color of the existing concrete!

But... low and behold once we did this 

the pool fence was to close to the old fire pit!

DARN!!!

So Mike says maybe we need a new fire pit.

 So darn it we had to put in a new fire pit!!!

Soon we met with the landscaper and things started happening!

I wanted the fire pit to stay true to the style of the house.

They tried to talk me out of flagstone.

But I stood my ground. 

I had it in my head that flagstone

would be perfect with the stone on the house

and the rest of the landscape!

Next I wanted  the pit itself to be good sized.

After all we have a lot of family that likes to sit around it!

But no.... they decided it should be smaller!

And because I didn't want to cause more trouble

I caved....

So up goes the very small fire pit.
And then the next day....

down it came!

Advise: Go with your gut and don't give in!

A few days later up goes the much bigger fire pit!

And....you know the saying, 

If mama ain't happy....

Well mama's happy now!!

It had just rained when I took this photo!

We broke it in over labor day weekend.

We actually had 21 chairs and family sitting around it Sunday night.

We sang, laughed, played stupid campfire games and 

the kids even ate a boat load of s-mores!

And yes....

we are going to enjoy this fire pit for many years to come!

Many thanks to the crew that put it in.

We love it!

$18 Bucks!

I just had to show you the great deal I got!

I went back to this store last week 

to pick up a pair of shutters that I had my eye on.

But to my dismay they had a sold sign on them! :-(

Then as I was paying for a few other little goodies 

I spied these behind the counter.

  {And yes my workshop floor is really bright blue tile!}

I asked if they were for sale.

And as luck would have it the women said,

sure....hows $18 bucks sound? 

I am thinking $18 each. 

Then the women says....for both!

SOLD!

Now some would think, 

what the heck do you do with two old shutters

(I think they are really louvered closet doors.)

that aren't even painted very nicely!

But I knew right where I wanted them to go!

So home they came with me.

They were just a little too tall for my space.

So.....

 I cut them down.

 Used a little of this on the spots that had 

fresh bare wood showing through.

(This darkens the bare wood and makes it look old.)

Then I walked them upstairs

and put them in the spot I had picked out.

They may not be for everyone 

but.....I LOVE THEM!

Gotta love a good deal!

I have a few other project that I plan to share with you

in the coming weeks

so stay tuned!

Happy Shopping,

Hey There!
Have you missed me?

I've missed you!

I have no good excuse for why I haven't blogged much!

We have had quite a bit of company over to the house.

  Then I ran my brother to a Doctor's appointment.

After we left the office I realized I had left 

my computer in the waiting area!

Yikes!
By the time I realized it, I was home and it was to late to call!

But thankfully my sister picked it up the for me the next day!

(So... no computer for a couple days made it hard to blog!)

I also had a lovely lunch at Joy's (the Savvy City Farmer)

home yesterday. Oh my gosh was her home wonderful!

She is so creative and her home is so uniquely her!

    Jen Rizzo from Sanctuary Arts &

Tracey from French Larkspur also had

lunch with us and we did a lot of blog talking.

I got to pick their brains.

I was the newbie of the group so

they patiently answered all my questions!

Thank you Joy for a lovely lunch and the lovely company!

Ok....ok....enough words!

Now lets see some photo's....

 

 

It's the inside!

This is our Master Bedroom.

There are 2 things I love about our bedroom.

First, I love the barrel ceilings.

It was hard to show them but 

you can kind of see them in a few of the photos.

Second, I love the five windows that go 

across the wall opposite our bed. 

I hardly ever close the blinds so in the morning we

wake to all the beautiful trees and birds.

 And in the wintertime the snow 

on the trees is so beautiful!

Oh... and did I tell you that I
love love love

a really soft set of sheets!

Hmmm.....

Wow...now I feel like going back to bed!!

Missed you,