Moving the living room around again....

Alright I admit I have a compulsive disorder....I am constantly rearranging things in the house. What can I say it makes me happy. But this time I promise there is a good reason. Last week I bought a new piece of furniture (....yes, I can hear you all saying...gee what a surprise). But this isn't just any piece of furniture....it's GORGEOUS! A good friend of mine ( thanks Jamie) was kind enough to let me have first pick of the shabby chic furniture she was having to part with.

Hopefully my very understanding and sweet husband will pick it up this weekend and I can show it to all of you .

In the meantime, I've had to create a spot for it, which has turned into redoing the living room...which in turn has turned into repainting furniture and mirrors and so on....

Here are two pictures of what I've done....I can't show you the rest of the room yet...because it's still in progress.

But look....I used the beakers....

Back to work....I have things to paint.....

Stay tuned for the finished room!!!!!!!!!

Wine Crate Dog Bed

I LOVE WINE CRATES

There are so many things you can do with wine crates! I use them as storage bins around the house, under beds, closets, and in the laundry room. You can paint them, decorate them, put casters on them, you are only limited by your imagination. Somewhere (and I wish I could remember where) I saw someone take a wine crate and make a dog bed out of it. So this week I decided to make Lily, our Maltese, a new bed.

Here is Lily's new bed! Yes she uses a stand in, she is a very busy puppy you know.

Here is the crate and materials I used. For under $20.00 I made her the bed.

Wine Crate $5.00 from the wine store

Finials $3.50 from Lowe's

Wood Decoration $5.00 from Lowe's

Spray Paint $4.00 from Lowe's

Two shabby chic napkins I already had, along with scrap fabric and stuffing.









This is the completed Box Pillow for the inside of the bed.




Other uses for the crates if you don't have a dog....

to hold magazines, blankets, toys, scrapbooking supplies.

It could even hold produce or bread in the kitchen.

Okay enough already, you get the point!

Another picture of "Lily" and her new bed.

Hope you all had a wonderful Earth Day today and practiced the 3 R's....

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

These things make me happy

Happy Friday!

Thought I would share with you some pictures of things that make me happy and inspire me. The palest pink, almost white roses that I found at Whole Foods.

Pellegrino's beautiful green bottle and label.

The nautical stripes and buttons on my new shorts.

My favorite bust...I love how she is so chipped and worn.

But she wears her tiara well, with her held held high.

The classic Chanel No. 5, not only is the package amazing but the smell is heavenly.

The bright summer colors of citrus....and a good book.

I love the bluish- green hue of the bottles.

And a piece of Drift wood....even the name is lovely

A french linen sheet, with an old apothecary jar

One of two new bedside lamps that I bought from Ikea last weekend.

And finally a great big jar of sea glass. I love the colors and the texture. But most of all I love that every piece was collected by my children, my husband and myself. Because they are the ones that truly make me the happiest.

In My Life

I hope you always have a best friend to share highs and lows, problems and solutions, accomplishments and failures, love and loss. I know that no matter what, nothing will ever come close to the loyalty, encouragement and love of a TRUE FRIEND!!

Here's to many more Margarita's on the beach....Thanks for the laughs and love....in my life.... I love you more!

I love the smell of spray paint in the morning!

Found this really cool old metal tool box when I was out thrifting and thought it would be cute painted black. So yesterday I took it outside and spray painted it. Which of course turned into me dragging a couple other things out there and spraying them too. Now if the wind would ever die down this morning I'm going to spray paint some more things....I have a pile of projects that need to be finished. But before I do, here is the finished tool box along with a picture of what inspired it!Tool Box before being painted

After being painted and me free handing the No 3. I really needed a stencil or stamp, but I didn't have one...so I winged it.

(Image from Pottery Barn)

These are the boxes from Pottery Barn that inspired me.

But don't tell my husband, I may have to buy these anyways.....aren't they just so darn cute.

And thanks to my sister who when I said to her "I love the smell of spray paint in the morning" told me I really should use that as my heading for the next blog. But, that I should clarify that I really wasn't smelling the paint! Good point....thanks Joy!

My Heart Belongs to Pottery Barn

This has been quite the trying week! Both of our computers, the washer and the shower have all decided to QUIT!!!!! And we all know that our best doesn't always come out during difficult times. But when the going gets tough, the tough head to Pottery Barn. It is one of the places I go, to walk around.... with a cup of coffee and linger....to look at all the pretty things.... it is my HAPPY PLACE!!!! So, since I was in a very bad mood (see above problems in the house) I was weak and tempted by a beautiful (on sale) Chambray duvet and shams..... so they came home with me. Which we all know that entailed changing everything. On top of all the already existing chaos in the house....I have moved and relocated half the house. So here is my new look in the bedroom, mind you not everything is back in place but it's getting there. For instance you can still see the mirror behind the picture that is going up above the bed.....MUST have that instant gratification!
However I still managed to get in a little thrifting. Here is a picture of my finds. The new nightstand, that I didn't need, but couldn't live without. Seven beakers, which lord only knows what I will do with. A really cool bushel basket! Two white busts...which will become bookends. Milk glass and a wire basket. An AWESOME tool box. A two tiered shelf to use on a buffet table. And one of my favorite finds (because it not only opens wine....but is also really beautiful) a new wine bottle opener to sit atop my butcher block.

Bushel Basket and Tool Box.

This is what I used the tool box for....an instant Bloody Mary and Mimosa Bar.

A close up of the wine bottle opener.

The nightstand in the bedroom.

Pom-Poms, Pins and Buckets

I have been getting ready for Easter this week. Now I should have been cleaning (and I have a little bit) but what I've really been doing is making things for the Egg Hunt and Brunch we have every year. I found a bunch of coffee filters at the thrift store last week. So I bought them....of course! I knew I had seen, somewhere, where they had turned coffee filters into wreaths, roses, etc.

I searched my favorite blogs and found this on http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/. She took the coffee filters, dyed them and strung them with other paper and fabric and made it into a banner. So yesterday I spent the day dying and drying coffee filters (it really is a good thing my husband loves me). Love the way it turned out.....I plan to hang it over the desserts on Easter, unless of course I find a spot I like better.

Yes I know this picture is sideways, but when I flipped it around I decided I liked it better this way!

Excuse the leave debris on the roof, the oaks in the backyard are making a HUGE mess this week. And I'm waiting till the last minute to clean out there....because it's just going to make a mess again.

Coffee Filter Pom-Pom Ball....

I plan on making more to decorate the buffet table.

All the filters I bought at the Thrift Store....I still have a ton left!

Easter Pins I made for all the Moms! Thought they were cute in place of corsages.

Pails for the Easter Egg Hunt

I made name tags for all the buckets.

I love my new handy dandy metal tag crimper!

Backside of the name tags