Thursday, June 30, 2011

The WORST room in the house...

I hesitated to show this room because it is SO bad. But, maybe I can inspire someone who has an equally bad situation!!


OK, before you call one of those TV shows about hoarders, let me explain! My two girls, 9 and 11 are crammed in here like sardines. This room is small, and as they grow they have expanded all their stuff. (They also have rooms at their Dad's house, so don't feel too sorry for them!) I must say, that the above photo is not how it normally looks, but how it looked as I began the transformation!


There is hope...


It will include this antique dresser of my grandmother's which I stripped of 14 layers of white and gold paint...but you can't see it yet.


This huge two-piece armoire which was a $100 craigslist find...


And a lot of work:-) That is what I'm doing this week, and I hope to have it back together for you in a few days. I need prayers, patience, and several pots of coffee:-)

See you soon...

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Going White in the Bath...

Let's get this out of the way: I am a person who loves color! I tend to surround myself with it because it makes me happy. However, white has been everywhere for a while, and I couldn't help but imagine what this bath would look like with fluffy, white towels and accessories. So, using things I already had, I tried it. Take a look...



I don't normally have any faux foliage, but I had this faux orchid and thought since it is white, it would work here.


I had a large palm tree in the corner here which I loved, but it does not do well there in the winter. I decided to try something different, so I brought this Moroccan shelf in from the dining room and this peace lily. My real orchid on the step is just about to bloom, and I cannot tell you how excited I am to have kept it alive for over a year!


I really thought the white would give it a more "spa-like" feel.


But, I must say, I prefer it this way!


You can see the original bath HERE and decide which you like best. Sometimes a little change is all we need to reaffirm that we were on the right track to begin with:-)

BTW...this is a budget bath! Peel and stick tiles, laminate counter with ceramic tile edging, sink faucet was a $59 overstock.com special, mirror trim is reclaimed from my great grandmother's guest house, and I did the texture on the walls myself.

I'll be joining Kim at "Savvy Southern Style" for Wow Us Wednesdays so be sure to stop by there!!

Thanks for stopping by!! After working on a baby shower this weekend, I'm now hard at work trying to make something nice out of my girls' room. It is a disaster in the worst way, so I'm hoping a week is enough time!


Thursday, June 23, 2011

Vintage 1956 Melmac!


Yes, you read that right!! I am so excited to show you this table set with vintage Brookpark "Pink Hyacinth" melmac dinnerware from 1956! 




This is the original ad from 1956...


I LOVE this dinnerware! I love that everything is square, which goes so nicely with the check pattern on the placemats and the cubist pattern of the glassware. 


This flatware was my mother's casual choice for her 1961 wedding. It is "White Lily" by Oneidacraft.






It took me forever to match this color for linens. It is more coral than pink, so I took several pieces to the fabric store and found this check which I made into placemats, and the solid for napkins, which I edged in cream.


My mother found this large pink compote at an estate sale, so I gathered some rhododendron, boxwood, assorted weeds and leaves and mixed those with some grocery store miniature carnations.







The glassware is "Whitehall" by Colony/Indiana Glass in peach, and the mother of pearl napkin rings are from Walmart. The vintage candle holders are Baroque" by Fostoria.



This table is especially for my beautiful friend Mari at "A Pocketfull of Roses." She has the most beautiful pink things anywhere and is just a wonderfully sweet lady:-)

I hope you have enjoyed my pink melmac table, and, more importantly, I hope you know that you can set a pretty table with whatever you have. It's all in the details, and that does not have to cost anything! If all you have are white paper plates, then trust me, you can set a fabulous table that your family and friends will feel special at. And that's what it's all about...making people feel special:-) Should I take the white paper plate challenge?

I'll be linking up to Debra over at Common Ground for her "Vintage Summer" party, and for the first time to Beverly's "Pink Saturday" at "How Sweet the Sound" and Susan's "Tablescape Thursday" so be sure to go by and take a look!





Thanks so much for stopping by!! 

Anita

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Porches and decks!

I know it's hard to believe, but I was able to put together a post featuring our porches and decks! These are my favorite spaces to spend the summer here in the mountains. Once the kids are out of school, we really try to utilize the outdoor area as much as possible. Since the house is so small, it really adds living space. We'll start with the front porch...


We have done everything here ourselves, and it certainly has a rustic feel. All the rock is from the property, as are a lot of the plantings, which I carried out of the woods.
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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Outdoor Summer Dining!

I'm back, at least for now, with an outdoor summer table! I thought it was time to bring the Franciscan "Ivy" outside on the porch since everything is so nice and green now.


I have kept a lot of the same organic elements from the last few tables I have done and I think they work so beautifully outside...




Woven chargers combined with Mikasa "Italian Countryside" dinner plates are the foundation for the Franciscan "Ivy" so popular on the "I Love Lucy' show. 


Mikasa "Italian Countryside" flatware, Fostoria "Argus" green glassware, and paisley napkins I made last year...


Remember this wood centerpiece from last fall? The single candle holders are made from birch with a little moss on top. The ferns and ivy are from the woods here...




My dad made this little airplane windmill for me a couple years ago and I finally got around to painting it red. 


There is nothing better than dining on the porch enjoying the sounds of a cool, mountain creek...




I hope you are enjoying your summer! We have been so busy that blogging is taking a back seat! We are so close to being finished with the CD, and taking new opportunities for ministry. We'll be starting an outreach to homeless veterans next month and are really excited about that. In the meantime, we are so thankful to have our little piece of God's creation to enjoy and take care of:-) I am certainly missing all of you:-)

I'll be joining "Tablescape Thursday" over at "Between Naps on the Porch" so be sure to go by there!!
Thank you so much for stopping by!

Anita