~ Doors of Welcome, Cheap Tricks Revisted!

This is a re-post of one my favorite tricks that we have come up with in our house.
I still haven't replaced the sofa which is now in Sweet Daughter's family room. It is a symbol of how many things are in transition and in need of getting done around here, and it strikes me as very amusing.

See Y'all Soon!

One architectural element that always draws me to a house is an arched front door, with a half-round top. They are so welcoming. We have discussed moving the door out so we could have this. But I'm always looking for a less expensive way of getting the look I want. We were able to give the illusion of the door being rounded with a little bit of woodworking tricks.

The paintings throughout the house are almost all by Sweet Husband. Although we are both artists, I enjoy his work more than I mine. I concentrated on interior design for years but now I'm getting rather itchy to create some art again. But first I'd like to just get this place done!

During the last year I repainted the LR by adding two layers of glaze. It looks the same to my daughter, but I can see a BIG difference. OK, not big, but different. The new rug came from a seller on Ebay whom I have purchased from before. It has the perfect blend of the limey greens and ochre yellows that I wanted. Everything else was chosen from the rug colors. But the rug was chosen from the colors I already was using!

We added additional moldings at the bottom of the walls when we were working on arch top for the door. My husband did all the woodwork and really loves doing it even when the angles sometimes try to beat us.

The sofa and coffee table might get replaced sometime if I ever find something else I really love. They have both been with us for years. So far nothing has jumped out at me except a smaller table. I'm not sure if a smaller one will serve as well. So for now, they old ones stay.

The silk drapes were added last year. They were ready-mades that I inter-lined and made the top valances for. I'm really pleased with them and they will probably be here in 20 years. We will see.

~ Decorating . Flea Market Treasures

I might have posted these two pictures before, but since I came across them today while looking for something else, I thought you would enjoy them. Isn't this wonderful piece? I almost bought it, but I have no place to put it. As difficult as it is, I'm trying not to buy anything that I really have no room for. But it's tough sometimes to pass up a pretty little thing like this.

This table and chair set would be totally practical and fun for a studio/art room. The table would wipe off so easily from any paint spills or whatever. And the chairs would come in handy to not only sit on, but to stack art supplies and books on. Something else I'm trying not to do.

* Mount Dora, FL ... Renninger's Antique Market and Flea Market
1 Hour N. of Orlando *

See Y'all Soon!

~ Decorating & Design, Fluffing the Nest

Over the years I've found that everyone has their own style of decorating, you know fluffing their nest. It's the job of the designer/decorator to help the client find that style which is a part of their own unique personality.

There are some people however who just absolutely know their own style. Some times they say that they would never hire a decorator because they want their house to look like them. And it almost always does, for better or worse.

Buddy is a friend of Cody Pup's. He is one month younger so his own personal style might not be fully developed yet. But this is one of the reasons I love seeing the work of younger decorators. They often have a new point of view and ideas which may indeed be new to me, decorating looks that I would never have thought of. Buddy's point of view is one I have not considered. I think Cody might like to try it, but I doubt he will be given the opportunity.

Buddy convinced his human that he had been so well behaved that maybe he didn't need to be in his crate while she was away at work. She was gone for only a few short hours before coming back to check on him for early lunch. As she was leaving the office My Sweet Daughter told her to be sure to take pictures of Buddy's first day home alone.
And she did.

Buddy's Decorating, Eclectic & Urban Hip
(He thinks so!)

As you can see, Buddy is quite proud. Being the young hip decorator that he is, Buddy re-purposed what he found. He did not spend a penny, nor did he make any new purchases. (Being that his mom is such a sweetie, she gave him a treat so she could have this picture!)

Of the many subcategories of decorating, I think maybe "Fluffing" would describe Buddy's unique take on it. The umbrella is a whimsical touch don't you think? He must have opened it with his teeth or paws.

** Colors and Identity have been changed to protect the innocent, and the guilty. **

Have a great weekend! See Y'all Soon!

~ Pavers & Gutters, Is This Exciting?!

First of all, isn't this rain chain beautiful?

Made out of copper. I would love this.

I know, how exciting can gutters and pavers really be? No too much maybe, unless you are getting things done that have been on your to-do list for a while. The pavers are here and sitting outside waiting to be put down. Sweet Husband has a joke about me following him around with a level when he is doing a project for us. I did not get out the level for the pavers. No level. Nope .... But I did go out with the tape measure making sure that the walkway was the exact same width as it curved down the walk. I tried not to bug the installer too much. I waited until he was gone home.

Although I had a tough time deciding if the walk would curve at the end, I think it will be more pleasing and interesting now. It will need plants to make it look just right. I'm just happy to be closer to having this project done.

Today I met with a gutter guy to get estimates on both Sweet Daughter's and our house. I will not be going with these amazing copper ones. I just came across them while searching.

Embossed cooper gutter.

The same company also makes fabulous cupolas, sinks & range hoods, etc.

My little home isn't the place for these fancy copper gutters. The simple white ones will do just find for catching the rain. And I'll be happy to one more thing crossed off the list.

~ A Daisy Cottage Secret? Decorating Diva Sisters

Ok so it's not really a secret because if you are a fan of Daisy Cottage you've heard Kim talk about her fabulous sister many times. And it is no secret that the decorating diva gene runs in the family. Jill has sewn and painted many treasures for Kim's house even as busy as she is!

But even though most of you know the fabulous Kim of Daisy Cottage fame, you might have only heard of her adorable and talented sis Jill. Guess what! now you can see more of her talent in her own wonderful home. And it is so much fun. You are in for a treat.

Sometimes I hear someone grumble that they too could do this or that with their homes if they had the time someone else has. Well, Jill has a family, and she went back to school to become a teacher. And she still accomplished all that you see by redoing, painting, creating and much more to make a house a home.

I have been in many houses that the owner would say something like ...you would never guess where I shop. Um... yes, I could. But there is a huge difference in walking into Kim or Jill's homes. Sure they frequent thrifty haunts, but their homes are full of charm as if they found their treasures in boutiques that cater to those who love vintage, lovely or quirky, depending on the mood, or day of the week.

Now some of us, including me, seldom find anything at the GoodWill. So instead I love to shop online. They often pull some of the better items, such as jewelry, art, etc. rom the stores and have online auctions for those items. Did you know that??
Here are a few treasures I found today on GOODWILL.com

See Y'all Soon!

~ Follow the White Rabbit

A short time ago I worked on the logo/illustration for a new website for "The White Rabbit" in St. Louis. The website and blog were designed by Sara of Sadie Olive. Of course Sara did a beautiful job on both sites.
Click on the links to visit the website or the blog.

You will love your visit to the website for this delightful shop run by a wonderful mother/daughter team. Be sure to click on the bio information and see all that these two ladies have been through to get to the point of having this gorgeous shop. It will make you count your blessings.

Thanks for your notes about HGTV. It's good to know I'm not the only who misses the "old HGTV" and wishes they would improve their programming.

See Y'all Soon!

~ Where Have You Gone, Joe Ruggiero?

**An update from Joe:**

"Donna, thank you for your nice comments. We hope to be back on PBS. Fine design needs a showcase on TV. I hope to do it.

Looking for a sponsor to bring the best of design to TV. It will have to be PBS. My passion to showcase the best of American Design."

Oh, are we happy to hear this? Yes, I know you all are!

"Where have you gone, Joe Ruggiero?

Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson?

Decorating Joe has left and gone away."

{ Thanks Paul Simon for almost the words :)

and of course Joe hasn't gone away.

He just isn't on HGTV }

Do you still watch as much HGTV now as you did in the past?

What happened to all the great programming on HGTV? I wonder if their ratings have declined as people like us have watched less and less, or if they have found an audience who is quite different from those who watched it in the beginning. It used be that their success was copied by others, now they seem to be fishing for hosts from other channels all the time.

Remember shows like Homes Across America, hosted by Joe Ruggiero? In the past, many of HGTV's shows had hosts who actually had decorating & design knowledge and they took us on trips around the country, or world, giving us such fantastic glimpses into beautifully decorated homes, often done by extremely talented decorators and designers. We also were treated to professional design observations by the host. And the host didn't sound like a vaudeville act like quite a few do today, yelling and over animated. Joe spoke in a normal tone. Thank goodness.

Well, of course Joe didn't go away. He is as busy as ever and still making many people happy with his design talents. But HGTV isn't the same without him.

Just in case you've missed Joe like I have, you can visit him on his blog and find him on Twitter as well!

You can visit Joe's blog HERE!

There are exceptions of course! Candace Olsen, great show. Holmes on Homes will give you great insight into remodeling. Angelo's Rate My Space is interesting, too. I'll add as I can think of any.

{I blog for the fun of it. And I am not paid
for any of your visits to this site
or any reviews written here.}

~ Chasing Pavers

See all those stacks of pavers. It's a small corner of the whole manufacturing yard. I've been here 5 or 6 times. At first looking just for the pavers to do Sweet Daughter's backyard. That's how it began. Then I decided to start on my front yard since I had an area where the grass had died. If it was taken out at the same time as her yard, I'd save a few bucks. From there it snowballed. For a few years we talked about changing our walkway. So this must be the time to do it!
You know what we said ....... while we're at it.......
I'm not sure there is an end to that statement. It just keeps going on and on.

No choice made yet. But I need to get a move on before the mailman gets lost in all the sand that was left behind from taking out the old ones.

Hope you have a great weekend. See Y'all Soon!

~ Who Is Your Target Market? the Kindness of Others

If you sell anything, online or otherwise, you could probably learn a great deal from this thread running on Etsy. HERE A talented artist, and very kind person, CopperLeafStuidos has been helping other members for days!

While you are there, please look at her beautiful metal art.

You might not need to purchase now, but what great gift ideas in the future.

Although she has not admitted it, I personally think she has an exceptional crystal ball and is just plain psychic!

If you take the time to read her advice to others and look at the shops she is discussing, you can learn a great deal about marketing, for selling or just for knowledge.

See Y'all Soon!

~ Kitchen Island

This is the same kitchen as the previous post. I found another picture of the island, which shows more of it, and how really functional and beautiful it is. Even if the gray cabinets aren't something you would choose, that island could win you over. And I'd take the floor as well.

See Y'all Soon!

~ Kitchen Cabinets . Gray ?

While looking at kitchen pictures and ideas for a backsplash for Sweet Daughter, I came across this oversized, and too big for most of us, kitchen with gray cabinets. You seldom see this color used. But it is certainly an option of those who love the white/cream/taupe gray look of some of our Euro Sisters' blogs.

Although the size of the kitchen and house is more than most of us have any need for, the cabinets would be beautiful in a smaller kitchen. Maybe even more lovely in a wonderful small kitchen.

See Y'all Soon!

~ Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July

~ Pink & Black, But Not In This Kitchen

Savannah

It takes courage, and a special house to pull off pink and black for your house colors. I adore this combo for this particular application. When it is slapped on a mid century house? Not so much. Yes, we've seen it, haven't we?
Pink and black was not a choice for Sweet Daughter's more neutral color scheme in the kitchen though.

And that kitchen is looking good! The granite arrived on Monday and we thought there was still time to get a plumber in the next couple of days. But you know how these remodeling things go. As soon as granite man came with the new counter tops and sink, he said he had to cut the old plumbing pipes to accommodate the deeper sink. Now what. The two people I had called to bid the job had not called back.

Fortunately, granite man knew a plumber who happen to be able to leave the site he was working on which was new construction, and come work at Sweet Daughter's house. Took him, and a helper, over 3 hours! So happy I did not ask Sweet Hubby to try to do this one.

Now to pick out the backsplash and figure out if I can get someone to do it cheap, or ...
you guessed, do it myself.

The Mad Tea Party was a ball! I wish I could have made it to everyone's blog by now. But I might get around to a few more this weekend. Or maybe not. Cody Puppy is spending the weekend with us while his mommy is out of town. Thank goodness Sweet Hubby will be here to get us through 24 Hour Cody Days!

See Y'all Soon!

~ Winner of the Marie Antoinette Art, Mad Tea Party

The WINNER IS KARIN!!

This message was the one chosen by random generator.

Karin said...

marie is lovely!

karin

Thank YOU to ALL of you who stopped by and left your comments!

See Y'all Soon!

(Karin, this will be mailed
as soon as I have your mailing address.)