I usually do my feature piece on Friday  but I  was so excited about sharing What I Learned In Vegas  that I skipped the feature piece.  So I am pretending that my Monday is Feature Friday! Confused much?

This week’s piece is a Drexel Heritage side table that has a little French flare.

When I found this piece it had great bones and was very sturdy, but the top had definitely seen better days!  Instead of worrying about it, I decided to just go with it’s rustic charm and use it.  I like chippy, beat up, distressed pieces! Painted in Annie Sloan Coco and Old White , then  a coat each of clear and dark wax this darling end table turned out pretty well if I do say so myself!

On the top of the piece I went to The Graphics Fairy  and found two different French topography prints and married the two to get  the top writing that you see.  Not too bad!

This was my first time to use the ASCP in Coco.  I think it is a great neutral that would fit in almost any decor.  I am already looking for other pieces to paint, as I love how the color turned out.  Also, I love the mercury glass drawer pull.  I found it at Hob Lob.  I just love their drawer pull selection – especially when they are 50% off!

Until next time…

I recently vacationed with my sister and niece in Las Vegas.  Wow. First time to visit there and let me tell you I am still in sensory overload!  On my drive to meet up with my girls, I listened to a humorist Jeanne Robertson on finding the humor in every day.  Good thought right?  So, I decided to see if I could not only find the humor in everyday but also how good design ties in with every day!  I gotta say that I didn’t think that I  would find much design wisdom in Vegas but,  I was wrong!  Not only did I find a lot to of humorous things in Vegas, I found a ton of design wisdom too!  So instead of writing about “What I did on Vacation” here is “What I learned in Vegas!”

1. Elton John Was Right!

Elton Paid a cool million for his piano at Caesar’s Palace that you see him playing above- well it is a bit blurry but it’s hard to take a picture when your dancing too!  Elton knew that you should put your money in your statement pieces.  His statement piece is a piano that has pictures scrolling across it and also sounds pretty darn good too!  Our statement piece would be a really great sofa with killer lines in a neutral color.                                                              LESSON LEARNED: Go traditional, classic, clean lines, neutral color and add some pop with your scenery – Elton did and the result was fantastic!

2. Invest in great art – THAT YOU LOVE!

I gotta tell you that the art there was fantastic!   I found this outside of the Blues Cafe.  I LOVE it.  Would I have it in my home – no, probably not.  But I am drawn to the all of the color and texture!

I have a weakness for true hand blown glass. When I walked into my hotel and saw that Dale Chihuly had done the ceiling lighting and wall art I let out the girliest scream ever!  My niece and I share a love of his work and we immediately began taken pictures and drooling.  My sister kindly asked us to please start speaking in english! Would I have Dale Chihuly in my home?  OH, Yeah!  Maybe not on this scale but you bet ya!

More Chihuly…

and one more…. last one I promise!  Sorry they aren’t the best quality… did I mention that I was drooling????

LESSON LEARNED:  Use great art that you love.  It doesn’t have to be expensive – but you should love it!  ALOT!

3. Lighting is everything!

You didn’t think I would go to Vegas and not find a crown theme somewhere did you?  My point here is they put up the brightest, biggest neon lights not only so you could see but ,to get your attention.  And it did.  Just like this replica of the Eiffel Tower, your lighting should look great when it is not lit….

But  your lighting should really make your room look AWESOME  when you turn the lights on!

LESSON LEARNED: Not only should you have good overhead lighting for tasks, but also think about lighting at night.  Ambient lighting can really set the mood of your room.

4. Less is More.

This is the only show girl you will find me taking a picture of!  But the point is those girls don’t wear much in the clothing department and they get a ton of attention!  Sometimes – Less IS More!  I think when it comes to decorating there are times when we are tempted to over decorate a room, vignette, coffee table, etc.  If you are having trouble with making a look come together, stop and take some pieces out.  You just might find you like a little less!

LESSON LEARNED:  Less decorating can actually be “more”.  Don’t over decorate a room!

5. Presentation is Everything!

Let’s face it, we all look better when we put on a pretty outfit! In the photo above you can see that the business below is just an average building.  You probably would just drive on buy without even noticing the building.  Except for one thing.  The signs.  Those signs guarantee that you take a second look!  That’s why we add great throw pillows, throws, plants and fun art to our houses.  It’s why we wear fine jewelry when we dress up!

LESSON LEARNED: How we present our home matters.  Not just to outsiders but to those of us who live in our homes too.  Stylize your home.  Make it special.  Make it your haven.  Presentation REALLy does matter!

And my last tip for the day…..

6. There is No Place Like Home!

After all of the shows, museums, shopping , walking, people watching, girl bonding, eating, and relaxing I could’t wait to get home.  I loved every minute of it,but it gave me a new appreciation of where I live.  Vacation recharged me and made me eager to come home and tackle my next home improvement room challenge.  And well, let’s admit it – it was nice to sleep in my own bed!

While I have been waiting for all of the stuff that I have ordered on-line to come in so that I can complete at least one room – PLEASE! JUST. ONE. ROOM! I have started a few other projects.  Imagine that!  One spur of the moment project was my office bathroom cabinets.  Normally you would never find me painting them anything but white.  I like color on the walls, in my fabrics, even in the furniture. But cabinetry? No way!  So what came over me here? I have no idea.  Blame it on Pinterest!  I was looking at a piece of furniture on there that had the coolest finish.  The next thing I know I am doing my version of that finish on my office bathroom cabinets.

They have a little Duck Egg, a little Pure White, and a little Louis Blue.  Followed by clear and dark wax.

This is a tiny bathroom that has no windows so getting good pictures is impossible. plus it has three doors!  Talk about a nightmare.  Can you say poor design? Now that I have cool cabinets, the walls must be repainted.  And a new countertop and sink would be nice.  OH, and who puts carpet in a bathroom???? Seriously?  It has to go but I had that planned well before the cabinet paint!

False drawer front detail…

Door detail and close up of the glass knobs.   The glass knobs were purchased at Hob Lob 50 % off.  Gotta Love that! I think this little make over may have cost me a total of $20.00.   Not bad for a total cabinet upgrade!

Years ago my father-in-law, Joe Lagaly, started an Easter tradition in our family – home-made Honey Bunny’s.  We would go to church without breakfast, skip coffee and doughnuts in the church basement because we knew these wonderful culinary delights were waiting for us.  We knew that when we got to Papa Joe’s and Grandma Shirley’s house that everyone would find their own Easter Honey Bunny waiting for them.  In my book that was better than anything chocolate left by Mr. Easter Bunny!

Many years have come and gone since that tradition began.  We’ve moved to a different state, the kids have grown up, and we no longer get to visit Papa Joe after church. Thank Goodness Papa Joe was kind enough years ago to share his recipe with me  so that we would not go without on Easter morning! While mine may not be as good as Papa Joe’s they still bring back a ton of good memories

Yummm… I can’t wait for Easter morning!  Aren’t traditions wonderful?  I hope you are enjoying you Easter weekend.   Happy Easter!

Have you ever had one of those “when it’s right, it’s AWESOME!” moments?  I had one this past week… well, really it started about a month ago.  I was on-line reading a blog and noticed their curtains.  Oh, man!  It was love at first sight.  Seriously.  The Quest to find that material was on like Donkey kong!

I finally found out that it was a Waverley  Williamsburg pattern in ebony.  I could buy it on-line for $10.99 – as long as I bought 15 yards.  Not sure I could use quite that much material… OR I could  purchase it for $29.99 per yard.  Big Sigh.  The six yards that I needed would cost more than the 15 yards!  So then began the internal struggle of whether I wanted to spend more money and get less yardage or buy too much material and spend less money. Confused much? Yeah, me too!

I finally decided on too much material – less money.  I could always find a place to use material that I absolutely loved, right?  I got on-line and was ready to order and found out that – wait – IT WAS ON SALE!  Instead of $29.99, it was now $10.92 per yard.  It was MEANT TO BE!!

Fast forward a week and the material had arrived.  Peeps – it was even better in person!!!  I swear I heard angels singing, the sun was shining…pure bliss!  I was using this material in the living room.  Here is what it looked like before, without curtains.

Sorry, it is so dark.. it’s been raining!  And did I mention that my house is dark?  For years I had full length panels that went from almost the the top of the ceiling, running down both the left and right sides, all the way to the floor.  It looked great but it was a TON of material.  And then my psycho cat decided that they ruined her view and out went the panels.  So they have stayed bare now for awhile as I debated what to replace them with. As you can see bare was not so good!

Here they are in all of their glory!  And I love them.  Really, really, love them.  They bring back the warmth, add color and just in general make me smile.  I want to just sit and admire them! GIRL SQUEAL!!!!

The curtains are just the first step in a mini up-date of the living area.  In the next couple of months I plan on purchasing a new sofa and rug.  Also, I have a couple of ideas about the TV wall… it’s all coming together!  But first I am still waiting on a rug for the kitchen dining area and have a few things left to do in the formal dining.  It ain’t easy being Queen of this castle!

Until next time…

Hello!  The weather this week has been so beautiful that I have to admit that I haven’t done much painting.  I have been working in my yard getting it ready for summer.  Yes! Spring is FINALLY here! When I was working on my front entry I decided to make a new  burlap wreath for the front door.   I am probably the last person on earth to make a burlap wreath.  Sometimes it takes me a long time to get on the bandwagon for the latest trend.  I don’t know why…I just roll that way.

Here she is in all her spring glory!   I guess I did do a little painting…the letter L!   Burlap wreaths are supper easy and take very little time – which is right up my alley and leaves me more time for all of the million other projects here at the castle.

Have you started your spring/summer outside  decorating yet?  I think that this time of year is my favorite!  I love the clean up, mulching and planting new flowers.  I get giddy when I see all of the perennials  coming back from last year. I know that shorts, swimming and iced tea are just around the corner!

Until next time….

I told you I would be sharing my new and improved, updated kitchen area today.  NOT.  Sigh…

Everything went so well. Chairs were painted, waxed, upholstered and had new upholstery tacks applied. The table skirt and base were painted and waxed.  The table top was even re-stained, which was an amazing feat considering that it has been cold, damp or raining all weekend.  Sunday morning had me up and putting a few finishing touches to  everything – then my favorite time – putting it all together!  That’s were it all went wrong.

Right out of the gate I realized that it wasn’t going to work.  The long awaited for rug was the wrong size. Too small!!!

I finally found a rug that worked for me, and it is too small.  Booooo!  So back she goes and I am either going to order another just like it, only bigger, or keep looking for one locally. Either way, it is gonna take some time to replace it.  Double boo! (Sadie, my lab, photo bombed me! Considering that she goes where I go it is a miracle that you haven’t seen her before!)

So I guess my little kitchen makeover is on hold for now.  I hadn’t found a new chandy that I was in love with, so I guess it will all come together when it is meant to.  In the mean time it is really, really hard not to just have one great big HISSY FIT!  Oh, well….

So today instead of revealing my awesome new kitchen eating area, I am going to show you one of my new kitchen toys that helps keep me organized.  At least, I hope it does.

My new metal hanging calendar! It is so darn cute… I LURVE it!  It has the cutest glass magnets to mark the month and the days. Plus I can use sticky color coded notes to help me keep track of everyones schedule. Yep! My OCD is showing. I still have my family calendar for in-depth detail but this is great for a quick day at- a – glance.  But the best part is just how good it looks!  Function AND Pretty all rolled into one – you just can’t beat that! This decorative calendar has to be one of my all time fav’s!

Hopefully, the next time I post I will have something more to show you in the kitchen eating area!  So stay tuned…

Until next time!

I never know where or what room inspiration will hit.  I really HAVE been working to finish up the dining/entry area of the castle but sometimes things happen –  something breaks, you receive a gift,  or you get tired of the same old thing and the next thing you know you are updating your kitchen table. Hey!  Don’t judge. It happens.

This is my dining room now..

Not bad…just a little tired.  And the table???  I LOVE the size and that it is round but it is on it’s last leg!  Really falling apart. I have updated the turquoise hutch already, but really need a new table and chairs, a rug – maybe an updated chandelier? This one I bought at a garage sale and repurposed it 9 years ago when we moved into the house.  After a really wild bunko game where the chandelier became a casualty, it hangs a bit crooked and one of the lights doesn’t work anymore.  Fun times!

Recently, a friend who is selling her second home called and asked if I would like some of the furniture.  Heck yes!  My house may be full  of furniture waiting to be up cycled, waiting to be sold or waiting for clients to pick up, but I will NEVER turn down free furniture.  Ever! I couldn’t wait for the moving truck to arrive.

Lucky me.  My friends shipment arrived and in it was a round table! My current one is 58 inches in diameter and the new one is only 48 inches…which really makes me skeert.  Just the thought of downsizing gives me the hives!  The up side to all of this is that it was always hard for me to find a rug that I loved and one that was in my budget for the table due to it’s size.  So one for the 48″ should be a breeze.  Also, this table is HARD wood people!  Almost indestructible.  So I am gonna go for it!  Worst case ?  I find something else.  Still skeert!

Here is the before of the new table.

So here is my list of things to do:

Replace table and chairs – this means refinishing the top of the table, painting the chairs and recover the seats.  All six of them.

Find a new rug to go under the table.

Find a new chandelier – in my price range

AND I am sure along the way I will be adding some new decor cuz that is just how I roll!

Easy right? We shall see… come back on Monday when I will show you what I’ve gotten done so far.

Until then….

Not only have I been working on my dining room, I have also started my living room.  In my heart I knew it was coming due to the open floor plan and the fact that my husband HATED our sectional.  I just didn’t think I would be starting so soon.  When the Hubs said that I could sell the sectional,  I did not hesitate. At. All.  I had it on Facebook in 30 minutes and had sold it in an hour.  The buyer picked it up in three!  Woo Hoo!  Right?  Until I had to think of something to sit on!  So we moved the media room sofa down stairs until I can find the perfect sofa.  But that is a whole other post!  So this is how I ended up with my pretty crown pillow.

The sofa we moved down is a neutral and the sofa I will be buying will be a neutral also, so I felt pretty safe in adding pillows and decor to match. Kinda like getting the cart before the horse!  But hey, I KNOW  it won’t be a clydesdale! Just a plain old horse! I was looking for new pillows for the new sofa but nothing I saw really felt right.  I was at World Market and came across the CUTEST hand towel or as my Granny used to say “Tea towel”.  It was perfect for me – french- crowns- topography- right up my alley!  I knew right then I was going to make it into a pillow!

I folded it in half and it measured out at 20 X 14.  Not a common size so I was resigned to finding a pillow form in the closest size and adjusting the towel to the form. Luck was with me!  I found this awesome feather down pillow at Home Goods.

I must be living right because it measured 20 X 14 – exactly! Maybe it is more common than I thought!

And not only was it the perfect size – IT WAS ON SALE!  Woo Hoo!

And to make it even more perfect it had a zipper to remove the pillow form…pure bliss…

I cut the towel in half, put right sides together and sewed up all sides leaving about eight inches open on the bottom to put the pillow form in.  Turned it right side out – pressed and added the form.  Then I hand stitched the opening shut.  I promise it maybe took me 45 minutes start to finish!  And I love the finished project!!!!

Here is my pretty little crown pillow.    So easy anyone can do it!

Until next time!

Happy Friday!  Today I want to show you my latest up-date here at the castle.  If you have been following along with me, you know that I started the up-date of my home right inside the front door – in the dining room. I am still working on a few projects in there, and will be sharing those soon, but it was time to look for my next project. My home is an open concept floor plan so my next project was an easy decision.  It’s in the entryway! And my Entryway is blue!

A few years ago my friend Laura and I were heading out of our neighborhood to do some shopping when we passed a funky asian inspired table lying beside the road.  My head did a  a double take, but since I wasn’t driving I made a mental note to look and see if it was still there later.  Laura knows me well – backed her suburban up and helped me load it up!  After cleaning it up and doing a few repairs my first thought was to paint it a high gloss orange and put it in my sons apartment.  What really happened was that it didn’t get painted and found a new home in my entry.

Fast forward a few years and I am still looking at it wondering what in the heck to do with it!  With everything in my dining room going from reds, golds and greens to shades of blue it was time to do the same with the entry.  Here is a picture of the table and the mirror that hung above it.  Sorry, I didn’t take a picture of it all put together but I am patting myself on the back for at least remembering to take pictures before I started painting!  Argh!

See how funky it is?  This tiny space is the only wall in this large entry that a table could be placed, and this table fits perfectly.

I finally found a small mirror that worked in this space.  Which in it’s own way was super hard since the wall is curved! I painted them both Annie Sloan’s Napoleonic Blue.  I love how it is such a rich color! And my favorite color is navy.. It makes the funky table look more up-dated and ties in the dining room perfectly!!!

Here they are -all finished and partly decorated…. oh, and if you noticed I brought out all of the gold accessories.  That trend is really hot right now.  Who knew that was gonna happen? I still want to change some of the accessories and maybe dress up the lamp shade a bit, add some greenery?  Also, I am now on the fence about the mural behind the table…hmmmm.. OK, so I still have a lot of work to do in this area but I just couldn’t wait to show you the finished furniture pieces!   The area already has a lighter, brighter feel to it.  And that makes me very happy!

Until next time…

Hey!  Good Monday Morning to you!  My weekend weather started out great and ended up kind of cold, so I decided to finish up a project or two.  I must say that I am so excited about this re-purpose, up-cycled chair!!!!  Girl Squeal!

A week or so ago I came across this chair.

It had such great bones, but the ichy-est fabric. EVER.  I had seen a lot of re-upholstery tutorials using drop cloths and was intrigued.  Perfect time to try it, right?  However, I am not a big fan of the trend of using white furniture everywhere in my house.  I love it in YOUR home, just not in mine.  You see, I have a dog, a cat, kids, a husband and well…me!  I can’t even wear a white shirt or pants without permanently destroying it.  No way was I doing an all “white” chair!!  OK..I KNOW that drop clothes aren’t really white, but close enough.  So I thought that using two fabrics would shake it up enough that I  might not mess it up too badly.

I found a great black and white houndstooth that was perfect!  A drop cloth – washed and bleached a couple of times, some trim and a lot of sweat equity and this was my finished project:

I am so in LURVE!!!   All business in the front…

Side view…

And..A Party in the back!

I love it so much that I have kinda changed my mind about the new sofa I have been searching for. Yup, I am thinking of a tan linen color.   Gasp!  I know… kind of close to white but still dark enough that  hopefully I can’t mess it up too badly.

Until next time…

Woo Hoo!  FINALLY, Spring is here!  I know this because my birthday is on the first day of spring.   I am not sure why, but I really get energized to clean and decorate for the coming warmer months after my birthday.  I’m like a spider monkey on Mountain Dew! It’s like I have to get it all done so I can sit back and enjoy all the hard work.

This beautiful Feature Friday I finally finished up all of my Easter decorating.

Chalk board Art…..using my new chalk board markers AND chalk. Cuz’ more is better right?

Finished up my easter table setting.  Silverware polished, place cards and holders,  new runner…

Sweet Bunny that I found at WalMart…he was originally yellow but this is Patina and PAINT.  So he became a lovely off white!

Side table decor..Love the faux chocolate bunny! He looks so real in person…

Bell Jar Birds nest all spring upped !

And this happy little birdie with his top hat ready to dance and celebrate!

Happy First Day of Spring!

I shared with you some weeks ago my plan to update my dining room.  Slowly but surely I am getting it done.  I have always said that I would show you my “fails” as well as my triumphs.  Well, this post is a kind of a mixture of both.  I will tell you upfront that one of the biggest fails was my photography!  Just when I think I got it all down…wham! Not so much!  Apologizing now…darn  photographer camera!

After adding the new curtains and reupholstering the chair seats.  I decided new art was the next big change.  I found these beauties at Ross and hung them immediately!

I did love them…but they kind of disappeared into the wall.   In the store they had some blue in them but when I hung them there was very little of the blue showing up – at all! I decided that if they had a frame they might have more impact.  These pieces of art are an odd size, which meant that a custom frame would be my only option.  And that wasn’t gonna happen!  So  I took them down and painted the sides of the canvas a dark brown.

You can see the dark brown edges did make the art stand out from the wall but still… majorly underwhelmed! I decided to live with it until I could decide if I loved it or was gonna get rid of it.  Fast forward a month or so and I decided that I could live with it, IF I didn’t find anything else!  Not a real endorsement, right?

I have always really, really loved botanicals.  I received my email from The Graphic Fairy and there they were -the most perfect botanicals, bird graphics, nest, and egg prints ever!  Woo Hoo!!!! They were perfect.  And what makes them perfect, besides the fact that I loved them, was that they are free.  Yup.  FREE!

I spent  all day a few hours browsing the site and came up with eight prints that I thought would fit my decor.  Now here is where things get a little dicey – even if I didn’t realize it until I was a lot further into the project.  I decided instead of buying new frames that were exactly alike that I would repurpose all of the old ones that I had in my stash.  I really liked the idea that they would all be different in shape, but unified by color.  So I rounded up eight that I like the shape of and spray painted them a deep blue that matched the curtains and the new dishes in my china hutch.  Printed off the prints – mounted them onto card stock and TA DA – instant free art!  SCORE!

Here is a little tip to help you with placement on the wall.  Lay your frame on paper – any kind will do – trace around the frame.

Cut out the shape and then tape them to the wall where you want to hang your prints.A totally easy way to get a feel for how it looks before you put nails in the wall!

Here is what I came up with.  Again, I liked it but it seemed a little skimpy.  I had hung four on either side of my hutch, but it didn’t have the impact that I was looking for.  So I decided that I needed six on each side.  Back to the printer, painting, mounting etc… deja vu’? Yup!

Ah…much better! Six on each side had the weight that it needed to make the impact I was going for.

Now here is where I have a confession to make.  Remember, I said that choosing different sizes of frames was not so great a decision?  On a good day I am mathematically challenged. For reals!  So when I was trying to hang these, it took me FOREVER  to figure out the correct placement.  And yes, I did say to use the paper cut outs. Which I chose to ignore on the second time around – TO SAVE TIME! HA!  It literally took me two hours. lots of hair pulled, a few chosen words and several un-needed nail holes to get these babies up!  But get them hung I did! YES!

Here is the entire room.  Again, not the best photography but you get to see the finished project. I love them! I am still thinking of updating the chandelier, adding a rug, and a few other fun things in the future.  I just don’t want to rush it.  When I see the perfect items I will know it, until then I will just enjoy the updates I’ve made so far.

So there you have it – the fails and the triumphs of my dining room so far.  Do you ever find yourself in the middle of a project only to realize that what seemed so easy just became a major event?  Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Until next time….

Hey!  Happy Friday to you!  So glad the weekend is here – ready for some fun.  I know that most of you had your spring break this past week but Saturday is the beginning of my spring break.  It also just happens to be my birthday week. The hubs is on vaca this week – Woo Hoo!  We have a lot of plans to get loads of things done here at the castle, along with a few fun things too.  But before the week long festivities begin it time for Feature Friday!

This Feature Friday is a continuation of a feature I posted a couple of weeks ago – the Turquoise Hutch.  My friend Kris brought by a mirror for me to match up to the hutch.  It was so darn cute to start with that it was hard to paint it!  Well, not really!  But it was CUTE! It just needed some color!

Here it is in progress – you can kind of see the before color.  A little red, turquoise, and aqua paint. Clear and dark wax.. and you have the finished piece!

I think it turned out pretty good.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time!

We have a few more days before Spring officially is here, but it sure feels like spring today!  Even though the  evil wonderful weatherman is predicting winter weather tomorrow!  I know Easter is a month away but I couldn’t resist getting out the Easter decorations – gotta get this Spring started!  Can’t. Wait!

This year I decided to shake things up a bit.  Seems that some of my Easter decorations have seen better days.  I could have gone with something trendy like a cool lantern or a small glass greenhouse filled with spring knick-knacks, but I decided that I wanted something more traditional.  Something that would tie in with my old stuff.  So this year I am going to mix the old with the new.

I saw this adorable bunny at Hob Lob and fell in love!  He became my inspiration.  I started with an old metal basket that I have had for some years, adding moss, foliage and spring flowers.  I then placed my bunny center stage and added a few eggs.  A burlap ribbon added to the end  and my arrangement is complete!

I found new grass green placemats at Ross.  I love the texture.  I then started raiding the kitchen for dishes.  I decided that I wanted to go with a stack of plates to create some visual interest and add color.  I started with a large white dinner plate, followed by a creamy yellow salad plate, ending with a Majolica lettuce patterned plate.  I topped it off with a linen hem stitch napkin with a pale yellow flower napkin ring.  As I was going through my dishes, it occurred to me that I have a lot of really cool stuff that I never use!  Ever!  I decided then and there that I would start using the “good stuff”.  After all, my family and I deserve the good stuff daily, not just for special occasions!

Here is a look at the back side of the arrangement. Remember, when using an arrangement in a place where all sides can be seen to make sure the back has as much visual interest as the front! In other words – Make it pretty all the way around!  Seems like that would be a no-brainer, right?  You would be surprised at the table scapes I  have seen that aren’t so pretty!  Pet Peeve #179!!!

This sweet salt and pepper shaker set  came from Hallmark some years ago.  They are so sweet and tiny, I still love them!  The basket came from Kroger.  I am lucky enough to live near a super store.  That store has everything.  A jewelry store, Starbucks, furniture… it is HUGE!  It usually has a seasonal isle that has a decent selection.  I just add grass and eggs for a cute mini arrangement.

I still have a few more things to add to my Easter table and I promise to show you the entire table soon!

When you decorate do you start from scratch?  Or are you more like me and use the sentimental things year to year? Do you like your table elaborate and elegant? Or less formal and more traditional?  I think that the important thing is that you do what makes you and your family happy!

Good Monday morning to you!  It is freezing here in Texas… no really it is below freezing here.  After a wonderful Friday and Saturday, Sunday quickly turned cold with a little bit of sleet, rain, snow and sun.  I am sooooooo ready for Spring!

Since I’ve had to move my projects indoors, I decided to do a project that I can honestly say  I had no idea what I was going to do with it!  NO. PLAN. AT. ALL.  I am the professional planner.  I rarely, if ever fly by the seat of my pants on anything!  Ever. I may not have all of the details nailed down, but I usually have a general direction to start.  Call it cabin fever, delirium, or whatever – yesterday I just grabbed some paint and started painting!

I put so many different coats of paint on this piece that I can honestly say I couldn’t begin to tell you how to reproduce it.  I worked for an hour or two then would walk away for awhile.  Come back and paint for awhile…sit and look at it, paint, walk away… I think that I am finally done!  Maybe. Tomorrow I may take one look at it and paint it a solid color and be done with it!  I will be the first to say that this piece is going to have to find a special home.  It won’t fit just any decor.  It certainly isn’t trendy, but rather more like a piece of art.  It is going to have to find someone who will love it!

I looked everywhere for the before picture but for the life of me I can’t find it.  Anywhere…  Wonder Woman stokes again!  You know- I wonder if I really took the picture?  I Wonder if I put the picture in the wrong folder?  I Wonder if erased the picture….  This could go on all day.  Just give me the dang t-shirt to wear!

So after much fuss here is my finished piece:

This picture really shows up the contrast… in real life it doesn’t have that much going on!  Please excuse my mess in the background. Remember that I have moved all of my current projects inside and they take up all of the house right now!

Here is the door before my hubs put it back on for me.

Funky right?  But there is something about it that speaks to me…today.  Tomorrow??? Who knows.

Not something that you could live with?  Well, you wouldn’t be alone.  I have to say that there is something liberating in just picking up a brush and start painting, not knowing where I was going to end up.  Reminds me that the artist inside of me needs to be let loose every once in awhile!

Do you fly by the seat of your pants or are you like me most of the time and plan the trip? Maybe we both need to learn to just let our inner artist out.  Well…every now and then!

Hello! I know that it is Saturday and this post is Feature Friday but this girl has been busy, busy, busy all week here at the castle!  It is so warm here that it is really hard to want to stay inside and paint.  The only thing that is making me get my work done is that I am so excited about all the fun things I have been working on.

My friend Kris brought over a small hutch that she is going to put in her guest bedroom.  She pretty much didn’t care what I created, her only criteria was that it be turquoise and that it match the bedding in that room.

Here is a sham from that room… cute and fun, right?

First thing I did was paint the inside the warm red that you seen in the sham.

I  also added the red in sporadic spots where I knew I would be sanding off the top coat so that the red would show through.

I normally use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint but this time I found a turquoise that matched a little better in Ce Ce Caldwells line of chalk paint.

I put on two coats of paint. Added in some darker turquoise in strategic spots for depth and was ready to distress the piece.

I also used the darker turquoise to add a very light stencil for some interest.  I went pretty light because the bedding in the room was a busy pattern and didn’t want this piece to fight for attention, at the same time I knew it needed a little sumthin’ to dress it up.  I waxed the hutch with clear wax, then went back on the corners and edges with a black wax to make it look old and worn.  I then buffed the heck out of it to create that smooth, time worn patina.  I also decided to add a key and keyhole door pulls on the top two doors. Hey – a girls gotta add a little fun when she can! The fact that they were already red made them perfect!

So here is the finished piece… I truly love it!  There is just something about turquoise that just shouts “Happy, Happy, Happy!”  So beautiful I almost want to keep it.

Have you ever read the book If You Give A Mouse A Cookie?  You know the one, “If you give a mouse a cookie, He will ask for a glass of milk.  If you give him a glass of milk, he will ask….  Well that’s how my upstairs guest bathroom started out.

When we moved in this house 8 years ago, one of the first things to go was ALL of the crazy wall paper.  The guest bath had this weird mustard colored wallpaper that had huge urns with flowers on it.  I tried to take it off – but no go!!!  I tried everything to pull it up but no way was it coming off.  So I did what I am emphatically going to tell you NOT to do.  I painted it!  I know – you are shocked right? And not only did I paint it, I painted it black. The room was all white, white wall, white tile, white cabinets, white toilet.  And to top it off it is a tiny bathroom.  By painting it black it pushed the walls out and made it feel bigger.  I was in Lurve!

Flash forward 8 years.  My son had just recently moved out.  I was putting the room back together and found this:

Sorry, it’s so blurry… remember I mentioned it was a tiny bathroom?  Well, it’s also a dark bath and really hard to get good pictures!!  But I digress.  As you can see the paper that wouldn’t budge . At. All.  Had two pieces of the top layer torn off.  How did that happen?  Now what?

I knew that if I tried to take of the rest of the paper I would spend the next twenty years peeling paper of the walls, patching, etc.  And I gotta tell you that it was more than my brain could handle on a good day! So again, I did what I am going to tell you NOT to do – see a pattern here?- I decided to put up beadboard wallpaper. OVER the existing wall paper.  Yeah, I know!  The Home Depot guy has already had two heart attacks!

So I went to Lowes and bought wall paper, interior trim bright white paint and a 1x6x8. After deciding that I wanted to install the paper 2/3 up the wall, I measured and started to hang the paper.  It went up like a dream and from start to finish took me less than 45 minutes!

I then put the hubs to work and had him rip the board down to a 1x6x6, which we nailed flat on the wall. Then we ripped the 2×6 in half and  laid it flat on top of the board to finish off the look.

I just love a man at work!

Here is what it looked like when we were finished.  I painted the wallpaper and the board in a bright white interior latex trim paint.  And it was so pretty!  ( Again apologizing for the crappy pictures!  Remember – dark, tiny room, most taken at a weird angle or in the mirror….)

I decided not to hang the towel bar back up but rather go for some hooks for towels, bathrobes etc.

  I went with a simple polished silver to match the rest of the hardware in the room.  And I love it! All of it!

Until… I saw the baseboards.  NOT. BRIGHT. WHITE.  At all.  So I decided I had to paint the trim in the room.  So I did.  And it looked great.  Until I looked at the bright white trim up against the vanity, who was as you might have guess not bright white either!  Seeing where I am going here?  If you give a mouse a cookie…

Stay with me for the next installment, or three or four… of the Give a Mouse a Cookie bathroom!

Hi! It’s beautiful sunny weather here in Texas!  Which means I can finally get back to painting.  So. Darn. Excited!!!

So if you didn’t know already I have painted my kitchen two or three( or maybe four?) times in 8 years.  For reals!  The time before last I was tired of this really pretty, creamy tan that was faux finished. I was in the mood for color so I painted it this really bright lime green.  I loved it.  For awhile.  When the kitchen was painted lime green I bought an old china hutch and painted black.  I also painted my kitchen cabinets black at that time and realized I needed a pop of color in there. So I painted the hutch this really mag turquoise, distressed in black.  And I truly LOVED it.

Over time the lime green wore on me a little bit. I still liked it, but it was a bit much for everyday.  So I painted the kitchen a light lemony yellow.  Still.. something didn’t quite fit.  Ya know?  I tried to sell  it to myself that everything looked fabulous, but when it’s not right – you know it’s not right! I knew that the turquoise color was just a bit too bright compared to everything else in the room but the thought of painting the hutch, well… I just didn’t want to do it. Again! ( did I mention that before it was turquoise it was black? Yes, you see a pattern here!)

This is how it looked yesterday… so pretty!  But so wrong! So I got out my paint and got busy!  I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Egg..one of my fav’s!  After it dried I distressed it and used clear and black wax to seal and protect the piece.  Here is what it looks like now –

I left a little of the turquoise showing through.. and I like that it gives it depth and creates several colors. The difference is really quite subtle but, now it is perfect!  It has the same color value as the rest of the room and while I loved the turquoise.. the Duck Egg is perfect!

I am always amazed how the little details can change everything in a room!  So the next time your room isn’t quite working for you, pay attention to the details!

At some point someone in my family ordered a couple thousand  dozen cigar boxes. I’m not sure why or what they planned to use them for but we still have them. LOTS  of them! Talk about a hot mess…

After about a year of them being in the Hubs office in a great big box, I decided they weren’t doing anyone any good and something had to be done with them. I mean I’ve seriously been dusting a box of boxes! Crazy much?

I took three different sizes, got out my paints, scrapbooking paper scraps, and glue and went to work.  After giving each box a coat of paint, I then took some scrapbook paper and lined the inside of a few of the boxes.

After the paint had dried it was time to attach the knobs.  These boxes lids are pretty thin, so depending on the knobs I had chosen for each box, I either drilled a hole in the lid and attached the knob or simply glued the knob on after deciding on the knob placement.

I then put on a protective coat of wax on each box.  Don’t want to mess with waxing?  You could always use a polyurethane top coat.

I could have stopped here – and I did on some of the boxes, but on a couple oI decided to take it to the next level by stenciling on a design.

Here are my finished boxes!

The duck egg blue box holds my dryer sheets and looks too darn cute in my laundry room!  It is so pretty that it almost makes me want to do more laundry – almost!

The black, more masculine box would be great for a jewelry box, gift box or maybe a family keepsake box.

The turquoise one is going to be a gift box for a friends birthday present. Much better than the bags I usually throw together.

These boxes are the perfect snowy / rainy day project for me!  Quick and easy, and you can let your imagination run wild!!

It’s been awhile since I’ve done Feature Friday. With all of this cold weather it’s been almost impossible to get out in the workshop garage and actually paint!  So I’ve been inside working on all sorts of fun projects!

My friend Shelli called me wanting to know if I wanted some furniture items.  Of course I said Yes! One of these items was an old hand made bread box. I was so excited because I knew it would make an amazing charging station.

First thing – of course- was paint. I know- your shocked! I used ASCP in Graphite on the outside.

And ASCP Duck Egg on the inside!

Followed by a little  distressing, wax and a cute new knob and this is the final result:

This is how you will usually find all my electronic devices:

Either in the kitchen, living room end table or on my nightstand! And that’s just my stuff. It isn’t a pretty sight!

This bread box came with an adjustable shelf.  Perfect for my laptop, IPad, iPhone and Kindle!

I just love how you can shut the door on all the devices and cords ( my pet peeve – seeing cords everywhere! Drives. Me. Crazy!)  Now all you see is a pretty box! I also love that I have reused something instead of buying something brand-new that likely wouldn’t be made nearly as well.

Now this piece isn’t as fancy as some of my other pieces.  I thought about painting a monogram on the door, or even putting a vinyl design on the door that could be changed on a whim.  But I like that it is versatile enough that I can move it to almost any room in my house and it will work well with the decor.

For now, it will be in my kitchen, by my calendar hiding all of my crazy clutter.  Ya gotta love that!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!   I love this holiday – so much fun, so little to prepare for, you get to eat chocolate AND more importantly you get to give those that you love an extra special “I love you!”  For me, it just doesn’t get much better than that!

Here at the castle we don’t do as much decorating for Valentines day as we used to now that the Princes have grown up and moved away.  However, you know that I can’t just ignore an opportunity to decorate  something. So I usually focus on where we all gather together the most – in the breakfast/kitchen area.

So… my chalkboard got a new look!

I have to admit that I went on Pinterest for a few ideas.  I used bits and pieces of ideas that I saw there to create my board. ( Unfortunately, I don’t have  links to any of these ideas… sometimes it is almost impossible to track these on Pinterest! –  so if you know please let me know so  I can give credit where credit is due!)

I have to admit that when I see this every morning it just makes me smile!  Isn’t that what decorating for holidays is suppose to do?  So – from me to you – HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Every once in awhile I come across something I absolutely LOVE!  I have decided that some things are just too awesome to keep to myself , so being the wonderful person that I am I am going to share them with you…

I recently came across a new App called Waterlogue and it is GREATNESS!  It costs $2.99, you can use it with Instagram or to create your own “water color” art prints! It works like this – you take a photo off of your photo stream, put it into Waterlogue and start creating!  So simple, so fun that you won’t want to stop playing with it!

Here is an example:

I am sure you’ve seen this photo on my website… Now here it is once I have put it into Waterlogue.

Cool!  Right???  I have had so much fun with this, I can’t seem to stop playing around with it.  I will say that if it has one fault it would be that it doesn’t seem to do as well with faces… sadly.

So there you have it! If you have ever wanted to create your own artwork but just wasn’t sure that you had the talent or the time?  Well…now you do!