home is where my story begins...

Etsy Purchases for a Cozy Living Room

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Last week I shared my new living room arrangement.  It’s been growing on me as the days have gone by.  I think it might be a keeper.

Favorite Antiiques

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The big problem I’m having is with the space to the left of the tv.  It’s empty wall space that is calling for something to warm up the room.

Living Room

This room is usually colder than the rest of the house and the couches are not that comfy.  It needs something cozy and inviting.

I ordered this blanket ladder from an Etsy shop called JustKnotWood so that I can lean it against the wall in that corner.  My friend bought one and I love the way it looks in her room.  You can choose your own stain color, so I choose a dark brown.

blanket ladder from JustKnotWood

I can’t wait for it to arrive!  Now, I need a thick-knit cream blanket to hang on it.  I thought about quilts because I have so many of those, but the room is already busy with patterns.  I think the cream blanket will add texture without overwhelming the space.

I also found the perfect pillow cover for the pillow that sits on the rocking chair.  This is from an Etsy shop called SoVintageChic.  She’s a local gal, so I just had to support her!  I’m in LOVE with this pillow!  It has our home town and the longitude and latitude coordinates.  I bought the 16″ pillow cover.  Hindsight, I wish I would have gone bigger, but it still looks great and feels personalized for our family.

SoVintageChic Pillow

I love everything about home and family, so this feels special.  I also love that it’s sitting on my great-grandmother’s rocking chair.

SoVintageChic Pillow

So, that’s the style update for the living room.  Now, I’m just waiting for my blanket ladder to arrive!

Happy decorating!

Welcome to Our House

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I have often said that the inside of my house is a Fall house.  It has the colors and coziness of a crisp Fall day and the smell of warm cookies and hot apple cider.  The outside of my house is another story.  It is, most certainly, a 4th of July house.

Our House 2016

I live by my watering a fertilizing schedule in the Summer and I love my hanging baskets and window boxes.  I fill my baskets with red and white flowers and tuck little flags in everywhere.

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Geraniums line the stairs on my tiny porch and more flags are there to greet people.

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I may have a slight obsession with using flags as decor and it might be time to take the 4th of July decor down and store it for next year.

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I bought a new variety of hydrangea for the front of my house.  This a brand new variety from Monrovia, called Bobo.  It’s a compact hydrangea, so I’m hoping it will stay nice and short.  I also planted some Blue Star Creeper, which will fill in nicely as a ground cover.

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Here’s my Bobo

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I finally got rid of my old benches in the front of the house, and we bought some pretty Adirondak chairs from World Market.  We also dug up all of the overgrown hydrangeas and moved them to the back yard, replacing them with Bobos as well.

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I planted a pretty little basket for the front of the house to add a little color to the white chairs.

 

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I did save two Annabelle hydrangeas, because who can live without Annabelles?

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I can’t wait until my flowers fill in!  They will grow up to be so pretty!

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It’s almost time to start figuring out how to turn my 4th of July house into a Fall house.  Until then, I’m just going to hold on to Summer.  Welcome to our house!

Our House 2016

Barn Wood Shelves

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I’m feeling a bit like Joanna Gaines right now.  You see, a few weeks ago I decided that my hubby and I each needed a work space in the craft room/den.  On days that he worked from home, I would clear off my sewing table and he would use that as his desk.  I’ve been fine with sharing, but I decided that he really should have his own space.  He was setting his computer on my cutting mat and whenever he reached for a pencil he’d grab one of my fabric/chalk pencils.  It was time to give him a designated office space.  I started by clearing out the book shelves and paper cupboard that were currently in the space.  (My kids were calling me a hoarder through this whole process.  IT’S NOT HOARDING IF IT’S IN LABELED BINS, PEOPLE!)  Once the space was clear, we had room to move a desk and shelves in.  This is the part of the story where I channel my inner Joanna Gaines.

See those shelves there?

barnwood shelves

A couple of years ago I saw these pieces of barn wood leaning up against my cousin’s barn and started begging to take them home.  They’ve been in my garage waiting for the perfect project.  Well, the perfect project is this one!

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I had three long pieces of barn wood, which we only had to trim a little bit.  I looked for cute brackets but couldn’t find anything that I liked.  We ended up using L-brackets that really weren’t meant to be shelf brackets.  They were sturdy enough and had kind of an industrial look.

I still need to find a few office-type organizing pieces for the wall between the table and the first shelf.  I was thinking about some sort of  wire wall basket to hold papers, and maybe a few mason jars mounted to the wall to hold pens and pencils.  This space is also pretty dark, so I’ll be on the lookout for a lamp for the area.

We found the long skinny table, on sale, at Cost Plus World Market.  I already had all of the baskets.  I wish they still sold them because I could use a few more now.

(Please excuse the blurry pictures.  I’m still trying to figure out why WordPress is making my photos blurry.)

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Not bad for some reclaimed barn wood and an inexpensive table, huh?  My hubby likes his new office space.  I kind of think his favorite part might be not having to fight with all of my sewing projects for space.  I was feeling pretty proud of myself for thinking of using these pieces of wood!  I have to admit that it wasn’t ALL my idea.  I just asked myself WWJD (What would Joanna do?).  Now, if I could just tear down a few walls, find some rustic light fixtures, and add a few farm animals out back!!

Happy decorating!

A Pretty Pillow

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I’ve been looking for a pillow for the pretty chair in my dining room for about a year now.  When I made my new curtains last year, I also recovered the chair that sits in the corner.  It was one of those spur of the moment projects where the red and yellow toile fabric was just not cutting it anymore and I happened to have the perfect size of paint drop cloth to use on the chair.  The chair looked great but it certainly needed a little something else.  Creamish/tan fabric looks a little boring all by itself.

I emailed my friend Courtney, over at The Golden Boys and Me, and asked her where she finds her cute pillows.  She said she orders them through H&M.  I have never been to H&M and I would never have even thought to shop there online, so I was glad to have the suggestion.  I spotted this Herbs & Spices pillow and knew it would be perfect in my dining room!

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I’m loving the charcoal gray!  It looks perfect against the drapery panels.

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Don’t you just love the way a small change can just make the room?

Confessions of a Blogger

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I recently moved from Blogger to WordPress and I’ve been reorganizing old posts.  I ran across this post and couldn’t help but laugh at myself.  I remember, when I first posted this, that several of my friends commented on how snooty I sounded at the beginning and then read on to see that I was just trying to show you the reality of blog life. My photos may look good, but I’m just pushing clutter out of the way to take pretty pictures.
Here you go:
I strive every day to have a clean and organized home.  Do you know that feeling when someone stops by unexpectedly and your house is a complete mess?  Not me!  I keep my kitchen counters clear, my kids know how to clean up after themselves, and I find it brings a sense of calm to our day.
Each night, before I go to bed, I make sure everything is completely put away and if I feel to tired to do it, I just tell myself that clutter is the enemy of a relaxed and happy family.

 

Ummm. Then, I wake up!
It’s only in my dreams that there is a place for everything and everything is in its place.  Sadly, there is always a pile of mail, kids’ papers, and lunch boxes all over my kitchen.  Rarely do I actually see the surface of our little desk area. Yes, I do have a place for everything, but I’m not so sure about that part where everything is in its place.

 

The kids are constantly leaving things on the counter and, it never fails, we usually run out of room for all of our glasses in the dishwasher.  When I write a blog post about a meal I’ve created, you can rest assured that there is a pile of dishes that has been pushed out of the way before snapping the picture.

 

I can’t even believe that I’m showing you the horrid laundry room.  It is a constant battle to get the kids to hang up their backpacks and put their shoes in the cubbies.  As a matter of fact, my son’s backpack is sitting in the middle of the family room right now.  So much for those hooks I bought for them to hang their things on!

 

Those of you who are jealous of our walk-in-pantry will feel better know that most of the time we can barely walk in it.  I swear, the kids actually drop food as they are getting out a snack and don’t bother to pick it up!

 

Most of the time, I’m not horribly embarrassed by our mess. We actually do live  here.  I do strive for cleanliness and organization, but I’m not perfect by any means.  I’m pretty sure I’m not the only blogger out there who is guilty of pushing aside some of the clutter so that it doesn’t distract from the photo.  We clean up pretty well, when we have to.
I do believe that organization is important, but I can’t say that my house is perfect (or even close).
I’m frequently asked by people how I get it all done.  People wonder how I keep my house clean, cook wonderful meals, spend time sewing and crafting, AND manage to take photos and blog about it.  Well, the reality is, I don’t.  If you stop by my house, there will probably be warm cookies for you, but I guarantee my house will not be in perfect shape.
I’ll just take a picture.  It will last longer.
Happy cleaning!

Welcome to My New Home and A Few Things I Love

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Welcome friends!  My blog may look the same, but I have a new address.  I decided to move to WordPress because everything I read about blog growth starts with a move to WordPress.  I love that people actually read my blogs and my wish is to make new friends and keep the old!  I have a handful of updates to do, like load the sidebar of the blog so I can find things again.  I will get to those things as soon as I can.

Now onto my post.

The things you love help you create the space you love to retreat at the end of a long day.  My work days seem long lately.  I think it’s because I wake up in the dark and it’s dark by the time dinner is on the table.  I feel like I haven’t seen my yard in weeks.  In addition, I’m spending most of my evening hours at doctor appointments or physical therapy.  (I’m still recovering from back surgery.)

I absolutely LOVE coming home at the end of the day.  I crave homelife.  I love cooking, baking, crafting, sewing, gardening, and spending time with my family and pets.  I struggle with decorating and find myself using catalogs and Pinterest photos for inpiration, copying their ideas when I can.  There are a few things in my house that I really, really, love.  These things help me create the space I love to come home to at the end of the day.  Yes, I love coming home to my kids, hubby, and pets but we also need cozy blankets, handmade quilts, and maybe candles here and there.

I love decorating with old books, especially when they come from my family.  Most of my old books belonged to my grandparents.

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I do love to bake.  (You may have noticed!)  I love greeting my kids with a plate of cookies.  In the “good old days” I only worked part time and every Friday was Cookie Friday.  It was my favorite day of the week.

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I love my yard.  Ok, I really, really, love my yard.  I tend to be a fair weather gardener and a sunny day in the garden is my favorite place to be.

 

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I really enjoy family get togethers.  My husband says I’m a hoarder of dishes.  I may have a few different sets, but it’s fun for me to make different tablescapes for every party.

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Once in a while I even go all out and set up a pretty tablescape for our little family of 4.  This was a day that we made clam chowder and set the table so pretty.  My youngest loved helping in the kitchen.

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I love to sew and my house is filled with quilts.  There is nothing better than cuddling up with a homemade quilt at the end of a long day.  The quilts I made are very thin, but if you are under them for a few minutes, they warm up quite nicely.

Pictures1How about you?  If you had to make a list of things that make your house a home, what would your list include?

Christmas Front Porch

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at my house!  I’m still not lifting or moving too much since my back surgery, but my pointer finger works just fine.  My kids and my hubby really like it when I ask them to do something and then just sit and point at what I’d like done.  (Can you hear the sarcasm?)  So, I can’t take credit for the loveliness of the front door.  My hubby did the work and I just pointed.
I have used the same garland and wreaths for many years.  I’d like to bulk it up, but it’s hard to splurge on decorations when I could use that money to buy gifts for people.

This is my favorite sign of all time.  If you live in my neighborhood, you know how true this is.

Ok, maybe this is my favorite sign.

Ok, I guess I have a problem deciding which sign is my favorite.  I love this one too.

I cute sign, a bucket of holly, and some birch logs from the deck are all it takes to make my chair kind of cute!

This is the sled I grew up using.  It’s missing the middle wood piece, but I still love it.  That sled has seen many miles of happy hills!

I’m having a hard time believing that MY sled could possibly be an antique!

Happy decorating!

Copper Decor

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I don’t know what it is about copper, but I’m loving it lately. I’ve been trying to find ways to incorporate copper into my decorating.
I bought this bowl for $2 at a garage sale a few years ago. I put it on my bookshelf with a few old books and it adds the perfect amount of brightness.

This is my favorite copper bowl. It’s a big antique bowl that I bought on eBay a few years back. I only paid about $20 for it and I LOVE it. It was hanging on my pot rack for a long time and I’ve decided to let it shine on my bookshelf.

I added a few fall elements to my bookshelves too and they blend in so well with the copper bowls.

I’m not sure what I will do when it’s time to change things out for Christmas. Does copper look good with traditional Christmas decor? Well, I will find out soon enough because the Christmas decorations are coming out on Friday!
Happy decorating!

Antiques That Tell Your Family Story

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I love filling my home with things that have history. I don’t spend a lot of time shopping antique and thrift stores. (Although I wish I had the time and money to browse antique stores.) Most of my treasures come from family members, so I really appreciate the history behind these pieces.

 

The pocket watches belonged to my step-dad and grandpa. I love holding something in my hand that they held onto for so many years.

 

This sewing machine was in a corner of my parents’ garage for years, before it found a home in my craft room.

 

There is nothing more meaningful than holding your great-grandmother’s Bible. There are even handwritten notes inside from church services and Bible studies.


When we were going through my grandma’s old suitcases, we opened one and found her wedding dress and my grandpa’s WWII army uniform. Many years before, she told us she had thrown them away because they were tattered. It was amazing to find them in perfect condition inside a suitcase in her garage.

The flower garden quilt is from my husband’s side of the family. His grandma sent it home with me after a visit to her house. It is very tattered, but I just have the good part of the quilt poking out of the basket. The star quilt was made my great grandmother and the picnic basket belonged to my grandma and grandpa.

This one was made my great grandmother and my great, great grandmother as a wedding gift for my grandparents. The patterned fabric was made from old shirts and dresses. They didn’t have a lot of money and they used the scraps they had available.

I can’t say I purposefully fill my home with antiques. I don’t seek them out, scour thrift shops, or shop ebay for a great deal. I fill my home with these treasures because each piece has a story.

What story does your home tell?

Decorating With Old Books – Loving Family History

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My husband calls it old junk, but I love home decor that has some sort of history.  I think he may be coming around a bit.  Recently, when we went away for the weekend, I convinced him to wander the antique mall for a few minutes.  He actually said that it wasn’t the worst part of the weekend.  That’s improvement!

I love treasures that tell a story. Even more special is a treasure that tells part of my own story, and reveals a little bit about where I’m from. I love the look of old books in home decor, but I really love that my old books came from my grandparents.



They have the neatest old covers.

The inside of the cover is beautiful too! They just don’t make books like this anymore.

Here’s my favorite. This is a bible that was on my grandma’s bookshelf. Inside, it says, “For Our Dear Mother. From, Edith and Chester. August, 1927.” Edith and Chester were my grandmother’s parents. So, this bible belonged to Edith or Chester’s mother, my great-great-grandmother. How cool is that… just to know that I’m holding the same bible that my great-great-grandmother held.

There are even hand written notes inside the margins that were written during church services or bible studies.

I also have an old hymnal from Seattle Pacific College (now Seattle Pacific University). Both of my grandparents, both parents, several aunts, uncles, cousins, and I also went there.

If you look around my house, you’ll see that I decorate with lots of old books. To most people, that’s all they are… just old books. To me, they’re part of my history and it’s amazing to hold a little piece of history in my hands.

Happy decorating!