Mirror update

Ever since we got our new couch, we have had a big ol' nothin' up above it. It has been really hard to decide what to put there. I've looked at countless blogs and photos online to get some ideas....and I have seen some great things!

However, it occurred to me that I had a great mirror upstairs that could use a little paint job and maybe it would fit the bill. Not that I am opposed to having great furniture/accessories in the bedrooms, but this is a bit of a showstopper and I thought it would be great above the couch.

This mirror was a find by my sister when she lived down in Mt. Adams in Cincinnati. This chandy also came from that apartment building (here). She did a great crackle paint finish on it, but I decided to paint it white. This sucker is heavy!

Here is Sweetie, looking at herself in the mirror as it's drying....

And mounted above the couch.

I have an idea for some artwork for the sides in white frames. We definitely needed something there!

Pay It Forward

In the last few weeks, I checked out a new blog named Crazy Wonderful, by a great girl named Shelley. I have really enjoyed her blog--it has great decor and DIY ideas! It's also a fun read since I have little ones...she often posts about her life as a mom.

She did a great pseudo-giveaway called Pay It Forward. The first five commenters on her post received a lovely set of chalkboard coasters. Too cute! The catch? You must also offer something handmade to the first five commenters on your post paying it forward.....I am hoping I can drum up five commenters. ; ) Here are those chalkboard coasters...

My offering? A ribbon cuff bracelet...in your choice of army green or hot pink. If you're a neutral-lovin' gal, you would rock the army green. And for the fashionistas up on the latest color trends, hot pink is for you....reminiscent of the honeysuckle color that is hot right now. Here is what they look like:

If you are so inclined, I could be convinced to add a smaller white, black or possibly grey ribbon onto your bracelet. Unless I'm out of grey.  : )

So, commenters, let me know which color you prefer and I'll email you directly for your mailing address.

Thanks! What a great way to share some cute DIY things. 

ReStore adventure

It is the end of spring break and tomorrow it will be back to school. We had a great week....most days with nice weather! Today it will be in the low 80s and I have major yard work to do today. I will be sure to snap some photos.

Over break, I went down to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Cincinnati. I had never been there and since it's not far from downtown, it's not really convenient to go whenever. I did buy one thing and almost bought some pegboard that was $3 a sheet. Here are some of the interesting things I saw.....

They had tons of cabinets, doors, windows, old appliances....it was amazing. Here is a cabinet they had:

Some were really nice and some would be great for your garage or basement! I think the next pic shows that this is where brass chandeliers go to die.

But I very nearly brought home this little lady......

I decided against it....too many crystals missing and the wiring looked extremely sketchy!

This desk was great, but sold! Many of the really nice things they had were already sold. : ) There was a ton of tile....if you had a small tiling project, you could get some of these bad boys for 10 cents a tile.

They also had furniture....some really bad furniture, but these matching chairs had a great shape and were only $20 apiece. They would be nice reupholstered!

They had some really nice headboards, too!



I was intrigued by these booth seats. I would love to have some of these in the basement....fun.

And finally, the chair I bought....only $7. Nondescript brown chair, but with arms and a nice shape. Once it get it all fixed up, it will be great for our computer desk!

Last, just a little preview of other things we did this week....

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Special delivery

I got a nice surprise on my doorstep earlier this week. A package....and Charlie was quite disappointed that it was not for him. He's been known to break down in tears when a package arrives and it's not for him.

What should I find? My free Valspar paint sample!

This is a little box of fun. I registered for it here. I first read about this in the newspaper in January. They were giving away 100 free paint samples (6oz little cans of paint) for 100 days. I tried for about two weeks to get in, but it always said that the window was closed and to try back tomorrow. So...I gave up.

I had been reading on a posting board that someone had received theirs, so I decided to try again. Behold! It took me to a giant board where you can click on a color family, then pinpoint the color you want to choose. Unfortunately, the choice area is teeny-tiny, so you don't get a really good idea of what the paint is that you want to choose. Also, I was under the gun to do it quickly....I think it was in the morning and I had to get going to school that day. I ended up choosing "Dusty Aqua."

Now that I can see the paint chip up close, it is a little yellow-based for me and I probably would go with something a little more grey blue. BUT......look at all of the stuff that came with it!

Included was supposed to be a $5 off coupon for paint.....they sent me THREE. Hooray!

Also, they send you a few paint chips with complementary colors. Pretty cool!

So, I will take my little roller and slap it up on the wall--it's meant as an idea for the master bedroom. We'll see how it goes!

What a nice surprise on my doorstep that was.

What's in bloom?

As we are getting into the 2011 growing season, I am going to start posting weekly about what flowers are in bloom in my garden. Some of the gardening message boards that I like post this subject line and it is fun to read about what is in bloom, especially when everyone is in a different part of the country!

To be honest, I never was much interested in gardening before I had a house. I remember telling my husband before we bought our first house, "I'm really excited to have a house so I can plant a garden." Once we had the house, I started looking at landscapes more closely and I started trying things in the garden. I took to it and here we are.

So, this week, here are some pics of what is in bloom:

Hyacinths are one of my favorite bulbs to grow. They smell so beautiful and are great as a cut flower. They also return each year fairly reliably, although they can peter out after several years.

The daffodils are also in bloom right now. I have some yellow with an orange-tinged center. The above daffodil is really pretty with creamy petals and a ruffly yellow center. My neighbor bought a gigantic bag last fall and had some leftover, so she gave them to me....bonus. : )

A spoonful of sugar

I've been looking lately for a solution to my storage woes in our powder room bathroom. It's not bad to begin with.....a pedestal sink, workable chrome fixture, nicely shaped beveled mirror. However, there is nowhere to put anything.

The price of a new medicine cabinet, especially really pretty ones from Pottery Barn, was a little off-putting. Neither Homegoods nor IKEA came through on this one. Craiglist, though, ended up the victor.

Here she is....not too shabby with a few small nicks. For 25 bones, I'll take it.

I took off the nondescript chrome knob and added some hanging hardware on the back leftover from my valances.

Hanging it level and centered took some effort, but in the end, it turned out great. I picked up a more detailed knob at the hardware store and.....

Plus, much more room on the inside for things I don't want to see regularly!

A nice, new paint job on the walls would make it look oh-so-much better, but we'll get there!



P.S.....a gold star for anyone who can find the hidden toothbrush in the above pictures.

New around here

Here we go...spring break! I am really excited for this next week. I have really been needing a break from the grind each day. I am looking forward to spending some time with each of my kiddies, doing some house projects and mentally unwinding a bit! I'm sure I'll have lots to show for it at the end of the week.

We've had some new things come about here at our house. First up.....

My first sewing machine! I took a sewing class for beginners last fall and I have used one of my mom's spare machines for some projects, but now I have my own. Not only do I have some projects in mind, but it will also come in handy for repairing things.....like our American flag outside. It is fraying a bit on the end and could use a new seam.

Now comes the hard part....I actually have to learn how to sew....: )

Next....I have been loving these twig branches my mom gave me. She is a very giving person! (Hi, Mom!) I always love it when she asks me if I want to come and go "shopping" at her house.

As you can see, they light up. I am a bit of a sucker for little lights like that. There is another on the other side of the big picture window. We've never had anything on that ledge and they look great!!

Last......

We adopted a new kitten from the animal shelter last week. We lost our older cat a few months ago to cancer and since then, my son has been wanting to get a kitten. She is a sweetheart! No name yet...although here are Charlie's choices......

Stacey (whaa?)
Samantha (name of favorite babysitter)
Sophia...which will probably be our choice, but happens to be the name of one of his friends

It's always something around here.....: )