The Sweeter Chair

 The sweater sweeter chair.

The $2 makeover, are you intrigued? 


If you have been following this blog, you know I really like chairs. Sometimes I find them, sometimes they find me. I even have a Pinterest board for them.

I have had this chair since I was in my early 20's.  It has a story, great pieces often do. It was acquired when my neighbor's were moving out of state and needed to empty their house. They lived in a gorgeous Victorian with many original pieces. Of course, I missed the house auction, as I was working nights back then (probably wouldn't of been able to afford the really good stuff anyway).  When I woke up that afternoon, this chair was on my porch  and waiting for me. They knew I had always liked it and when it didn't sell, they just gave it to me.

Moral of the story: 

Be nice to your neighbors and you will always have somewhere to sit.

Things I love about this chair:

• The tufting
• The color
• The lines
• The wonderful feeling you get when you sink into it.

So many memories sitting in this chair, I used to use it in front of my computer, have long conversations on the phone and read so many books and still do. 

When I sit in it, it feels like the club chairs that my parents had growing up. Basically,  it has that comfortable feeling of home.

We're not the only ones who love this chair and have enjoyed it.  You can see how worn it is.

It's such a great chair. This is also a great dog, he was visiting us for a couple days. Yup, this pooch was allowed on the furniture. Our pup well she is allowed only on one piece and it's not this chair, surprised?



So are you still intrigued about it's makeover?

Thought for the Day

It's Friday, Yeh!!!!
Happy Name Day to all the Vasilios's, Vasiliki's, Vaso's, Vanessa's, Bill's, Basil's, Gregory's and John Chrysostom's today. And of course anyone else celebrating today for the Three Hierarchs, including all the teachers out there!

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Adventures in Winter Window Cleaning

Alright, if you have been following my blog you know that I like my windows being clean, but I don't always have the best luck.

This adventure in window cleaning was no different.

I finally took off the Christmas clings.

You know how they leave a little film and stick on the windows.

I don't know about your home, ours get moved around a lot!

New words, little changes almost daily to see if someone else in the family will notice.

It's a fun game, but leaves a big mess on the window.

Time to clean it!

I cleaned the inside, but it didn't look clean.

Then I realized ...dun dun dunnnn.

Ahhh-it was on the outside!

Embrace it.

If you have been following along, you know I have had a struggle with the lily of the valley taking over in the front garden pathway. It is in full bloom now.

I have decided for now to just embrace it. 

They are delicate and beautiful and filled with a sweet aroma.

There are more important things to struggle with, this does not need to be one.

But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. ( 1 Timothy 6.11)

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21 Favorite Ideas to Decorate Easter Eggs

40 Days-40 Lenten Recipes (and more)

So with Easter/Pascha approaching, a girl's thoughts turn to... the eggs of course.
It can't be recipes and food all the time.

I started thinking about all the gorgeous egg tutorials I've seen on Pinterest.

So I thought I'd share some of my favorites and some history I learned, along the way.

Enjoy and then let's get cracking!

Sorry couldn't resist.

Lenten Spring Mantle Decor

40 Days-40 Days of Lenten Recipes (and Crafts)

Need to share and send a shout out to two of my favorite blogs!

First let me thank Christina for the sweet Lamb chatterboxes. I made a few of them and put them in a basket in our church narthex for the kids to take home as a family activity. They were snatched up pretty quickly and enjoyed!  If you haven't seen these, so adorable and a great way to open some sweet discussions with the little people.

Now I wish to thank Kristi from I Should Be Mopping the Floor for posting a free Printable.

 It is so pretty and exactly what I wanted for our Lenten Mantle. 

You can see it below. 

Instead of framing it, although it would look very nice this way, I decided to do something else.

I took the 8x10 and had it blown up to 12x16, it didn't cost much as I had a coupon etc... 

Anyway, once I brought it home, used the old modpodge then a little white paint to blend in the edges. The white paper it was on was significantly bluer than my canvas. Go figure?

When I initially put it up it looked lovely but I felt it was still missing something. I played around with the vases and other things on the mantle. Then, I figured out what was missing for me. So, I added the yellow flowers to match the wall color and bring in the daffodils. I tried to match Kristi's pretty flower design. What do you think?

Too much? or Good Match?

Kristi, I just LOVE it!

Thanks!

Here's the full mantle view.

I can't wait for the Forsythia to be in bloom, maybe should get daisies next?

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I Should Be Mopping the Floor

Icon Letter Craft

40 Days-40 Days of Lenten Recipes (and Crafts!)

Now for something a bit different, being that it is the Sunday of Orthodoxy. I had hoped in this 40 days series to not only have recipes, but also craft ideas. This is a special craft to us and one of our favorites.  

An Icon Letter!

This idea came to me while looking at all the wonderful family photo letters people have made on Pinterest. It popped into my head and I ran with it. We have made these for baptisms for some special little ones. But as I think about it, it would make a great craft for church school and retreats. It can be a wonderful way to learn about icons and each child's Saint. 

The process requires downloading pictures of your icons and printing them out. We used regular printer paper and it worked just fine. I made duplicates on my processing page and made them different sizes.  Then print them out, cut them out and go to town with the mod podge.  We do both sides and once it's all dry, glue a small hanger bracket to the back. It is a fun activity, where we spend some time together and have some nice talks about the Saints and Icons too! 

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Are your Gourds dressed for Fall?

Well, the Fall Mantle is almost done completed, I'm running late.

Not an unusual pattern in my life.

Never enough time and committed to too many things.

Can you relate?

In the meantime, 

I decided to add some sparkle, who doesn't need this in their life?

I popped open a little gold craft paint and went to town on my $3 bag of gourds.

Look at how much sweeter a little paint can make these!

Easy-breezy and less than 5 minutes, took me longer to take the pictures and write the post.

Seriously.

I will be sharing the full mantle with you soon!

How are you adding sparkle to your mantle and day?

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Sharing with these lovely parties.

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Jennifer Rizzo , Thededicatedhouse,   An Original Belle,  FarmHousePorch, I should be Mopping the Floor

Fall Mantle Art

Time to change the mantle, I wasn't sure what my plan was yet.

I did know I wanted another paint chip art piece.

Why? Well...

they are affordable, they feel creative and I like mixing more sophisticated pieces,

with those that are more primitive.

How to Paint a Bench Ombre-Style

I picked up this bench last summer at a yard sale. 

End of the day and $20, yippee!

By now you know my affinty for Anthropologie.

I even pinned an inspiration.

I had great plans, I wanted to ombre it!

It sat for a long, long time on our very sad front porch, 

looking sorely out of place.

So many things had to take priority over it.

But finally, huge big grin. 

I had 2 hours, yes, I said it, 2 hours to myself!

I had 3 spray cans and 2 hours.

I washed it, got all the little spider babies out of it.(ick)

Sanded it a bit, I admit, should of sanded it more.

But I couldn't wait to get to the fun part.

I sprayed the white parts first, back top and bottom.

Using primer/spray mix, worked great! Easy-peasy.

Then next color, mid-blue, on the middle sections.

Last the dark blue on front middle.

To get more of the effect I would go over the transition parts with each color,

while lifting the spray can away from the piece, while spraying.

I wanted the darkest section at the very front.

Finished it with spray sealer, after it dried in the sun.

Turned out exactly as I pictured it!

Not often that happens, at least in my world.

I had a little left in the cans and decided to paint this cute pot to go with it.

Also moved some pillows from indoor to outdoor.

The pillows were sprayed with outdoor fabric protector.

Pretty, pretty, happy, happy.

Fall here we come!

How is your front porch starting to "fall" together?

Don't you love how the color deepens and changes with the light.

Smiling wide, baby, Smiling wide.

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 Thededicatedhouse,  Boogieboardcottage,  Coastal Charm, The Chicken- Chick,  Ishouldbemoppingthefloor, InsideBruCrewLife,  Uncommon Designs,   Todayscreativeblog,  Littlehouseliving,  Cozylittlehouse,  CedarHill Ranch,   Beyondthepicketfence,  Free Pretty Things for You,  Southern Lovely,  Ginger Snap Crafts, Katies Nesting Spot,  The Shabby Nest,  Be Different...Act Normal,  Lovely Crafty Home, An Original Belle, Savvy Southern Lovely , The Diy Dreamer, Lolly Jane, FarmHousePorch, CraftyTexasGirls, FrenchCountryCottage, Just Dip it in Chocolate

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Jennifer Rizzo , Shabby Creek Cottage, I Gotta Create

How does your garden grow Monday-New Additions to our Indoor Garden

Hope you all have been enjoying the summer.

Here are a few of our late bloomers this year, our white Liatrus and one single Daisy is left.

  

                                       

Here are a few Dahlia's that are still about. 

Love these, will have to dig them up soon and store them away for next year.

My new Hibiscus given by my sweet neighbor before they moved, 

hasn't bloomed but is doing well. 

Will have to spray it before bringing it inside. 

Sadly, I had to move my beautiful Boston Fern outside and am not holding out much hope for it. 

Problem was I moved it in the first place.

New lesson, if your fern is happy, don't move it! 

Especially for the whimsy of home decor.  

I moved it from a spot in the hallway, to the bathroom, 

Admittedly, it did look gorgeous in there, for a little while.  

I thought it would have more humidity but as it was next to the wall,

 it clearly didn't have the air circulation it needed and one side died, followed by the remainder seen.  

Our indoor garden will miss the fern, if I can't nurture it back?

What we will have left, of course, 

our orchids, which are headed into hibernation mode, 

an aloe vera, and a lemon "not" tree, I'll get to this in the future.

But for some history you can check here and here and here.

Now,

on to our exciting news, 

we have also a three new additions to our indoor garden.

Two Venus Flytraps

and a Purple Pitcher Plant!

(Try saying that three times fast, found a new tongue twister)

They came in these plastic box terrariums and we took them outside and slowly adjusted them to the patio table.
They ate some, which was quite exciting, but then the flytraps started to turn black?

Concern/dismay and then after some reading, 

we came to these conclusions either the flytraps are digesting,

too tender to stay outside, or they got sunburned?

We decided to bring them back inside and make a new terrarium.

Was going to buy some apothecary jars, but I couldn't justify the cost, even at $12 each.

Decided instead to use round low vases, costing less than $5 each and  

 then cut the tops off our spring water bottles, lidless.

They fit perfectly, one inside and one on the outer edge of vase. 

These are working great.

I do plan on adding pebbles and moss to the bottom and eventually transplanting these fellows,
but figure they have been through enough stress, thus far.

If anyone has advice on the helping my fern or

 keeping these flytraps/pitcher plants healthy, 

share away.

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 Thededicatedhouse,  Boogieboardcottage,  Coastal Charm, The Chicken- Chick,  Ishouldbemoppingthefloor, InsideBruCrewLife,  Uncommon Designs,  Cozylittlehouse,  CedarHill Ranch,  Free Pretty Things for You,  Ginger Snap Crafts, Katies Nesting Spot,  The Shabby Nest,  Be Different...Act Normal,  Lovely Crafty Home, An Original Belle, Savvy Southern Lovely , The Diy Dreamer,  FarmHousePorch, CraftyTexasGirls, FrenchCountryCottage, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Jennifer Rizzo

Painted Chairs

Many years ago, I did a LOT of furniture painting.

I even bardered with it.

These were on my parents screened porch and when I moved out, 

I took them with me.

I wanted an eclectic look and so as you can see, sponged coordinating colors on the back, 

and made a checkerboard type pattern using painters tape on the seat.

Paintchip Art

Well, felt the wall was lacking a little something.

We needed some new artwork.

Remember my secret hiding spot for paint-chips?

Time to get them out.

Here is my creation.

I think of it as a modern cubist/impressionist expression.

What should we call this new form of expression, many have done this medium.

It's all over Pinterest.

Maybe, "Paintchipism?" 

What would you call it?

Let's hear your ideas?

Spring Mountains

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Come fly with me-come fly, fly away

More like, 

"Come shop with me, come shop, shop awaaaaay"

Well, how about some virtual window shopping together with my girlfriends.
You will recognize these places I'm sure.

You're invited.

Sparking the Living Room

Spring is coming, when a young girls fancy turns to sprucing up the place? 

Changing things about?

Time to focus on the living room.  

I love our living room. It is quiet, bright and has become what it was like when I was growing up.
A reading room, reflection and family gathering-discussion spot.
Don't get me wrong, we are BIG talkers in this family. We talk everywhere.
But something about this room, lends to different discussions.  

Sitting in there, always makes me feel peaceful and happy.  

The colors are warm and the furniture not stuffy or overly formal, but comfy.  

I'm trying to add some more grown-up elegant touches as we go, and it truly is a work in progress.  

The color foundation is Summer Corn/Sunflower Yellow and a sweet Slate Grey and some touches of black and dark brown in the furniture.

The palette I think is classic.

I know I will love this for a long time.

But...

I also have a whimsical side.

Stripes, Florals, Geometric patterns.

I think you can tell what colors I'm recently attracted to.

My question is how long will THIS color attraction last...

What this palette doesn't show you is my other attraction: texture.

I LOVE texture!

Whether it is the beauty of a wood grain, or stone, brick, fibers...

You name it, I think it's fantastic.

So...this work in progress will remain as such.

I'll add little touches and share with you as I go.

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Secret Storage

How many of you out there do this?

When Christmas shopping, you pick up a little something-something for yourselves.

Guilty.

I saw these and knew I could make them, but took the short cut...

I know slap my hand...

I bought them.

I couldn't resist.

I knew exactly what I would use them and where the second I saw them.

Burlap wrapped faux books with leather decorative stripe 

and lined in black linen-type material.

Inside the top box I keep my paint chip boards,

who doesn't have a stash of these?

The middle has buttons, clasps, etc.

And the last is where I house things like, 

my rotor and paper cutter, glue, magnets,

tape, pencil sharpener and more. 

Things that when I want to do something quick

I do not feel like hunting or going far to grab.

Where do you have your fave craft must-haves?

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