Preparing

Preparing for a new year. the tree(s) and ornaments are all packed away in the totes for next Christmas,
leftovers are eaten or thrown away, and house is back in order.

It's time for a change; in my home and personally.

Why wait till January 1 when you can do it now.

Bringing out the Bling

Getting in the holiday mood

Decorating is under way .

Thankful for those who don't follow directions...

Today, I am thankful for my friends that make me smile and laugh. 
I am also thankful for my patience and ability to realize that reading instructions are an important part of anything.  
I had to add that in because I got this electric fireplace for free last night. 
I know you are thinking how did she do that? Well, the guy who had it said there was 2 things WRONG with it. 
1. the top of the mantel is chipped( no big deal probably from being moved  in an impatient rush (plus, it can get a makeover) and 
2. he said it wont turn on.  hmm... lets try this at home. 
I scooped it up and headed down the road.
First thing was READ THE DIRECTIONS ON THE BACK. 
step number 1 was to plug it in ( check!) 
step 2. HOLD POWER BUTTON IN FOR 5 seconds.(check!) IT TURNED ON!! 
step 3 was to set the thermostat on the front for what you want the room temperature to be (got it at 70).

 it works, JUST FINE...

 hopefully, before Christmas it will bes getting a new top and a makeover. 
thank you to the guy who failed to read directions and threw out the good stuff.. hehe

FALL 2013

 things are starting more like the season these days.

 i made the burlap wreath on the door. 

sorry about the reflection of the neighbor's home.  

 one of my favorite bloggers had posted an afghan in these colors.

 i knew i wanted to find something similar for my own porch. 

best part is, i won it for $2 on a Facebook auction wall. 

i started out with mums instead of the clock, but they were dying already so i pitched them. 

the clock was another thrift store find a few months ago.  

bigger view.

 i love the ferns. 

they have done so well this summer that i decided to keep them in the Fall decorating .

pumpkin pickin' bike. :)

love the mason jar solar light too. 

it was a great find at tractor supply.

chalkboard house number around our greyhound statue's neck.

  full front view. 

the house is on the corner so i wanted to add something on the side too .

cornstalks, an old chair and pumpkin do the trick. 

the cat is actually my design consultant. ;)

added some more decorating along side the garage. 

 patio ready. 

all summer i had sand and shells in those big glass vases. 

i dumped the sand and added mini pumpkins  

another view of patio. 

by this time next summer this area is going to receive a makeover.

definitely want to add an outdoor kitchen area where the tv is.

stay tuned for future posts. 

Happy Fall!!

I found the sign...

Now, how cool is that?! 

Almost identical to my blog quote. 

From 0 to 2

 I was looking for an old rusty truck;

I found 2!!

This one is on the coffee table( along with the cat).

Am thinking it looks great with the mini pumpkins.

loving the old metal wheels and of course, all the rust. 

and, I cant forget my little dump truck. 

its setting on the counter holding keys, tape, etc.

 I am so happy. :)

Looking for a truck that will fit in the house

yes, you read that right. 

i am looking for a truck that fits in the house.

a truck like any of these will do.

please send one my way. :)

New Edition

July 4th Weekend

Hoping everyone had a great weekend. 

Preparing for Summer

Happy anniversary little house of mine!  one year ago today, i got the keys and walked in to so many new projects and new dreams. its a work in progress ; and many more plans to go.
things that are done-
yellow/blue checkered wallpaper removed
walls painted ( 18 gallons of paint and 4 gallons of primer)
carpet removed
bathroom on main floor completely gutted and remodeled
floors stripped and poly'ed( except for the kitchen)
interior and exterior ceiling fans installed
foundation painted
fireplace installed
power washed for 4 days on the exterior- it was filthy
removed the forsythia that was growing under the siding :(
painted all the doors
painted door knobs brushed nickel
stripped kitchen cabinet doors of their 7 coats of paint
new outdoor carpet on the porch( yes, i like it better than the concrete)
removed rusty wrought iron railings on the front porch and back patio
weatherproofed the patio/porch roof
installed shelving in the basement
replaced some missing base board and quarter round
i know there is more. but gosh. its late....

To Do list coming soon.

New & Improved..

new & improved blog that is. stay tuned cause this one is getting a makeover!! 

Electric Fireplace Makeover

BEFORE

AFTER

1. Removed the front flat panel

2. Added a shelf for components

3. Painted white

Not bad for a craigslist $50 electric fireplace.

New Project

It's getting a makeover this week. :)

Back in the Game

It's been forever since I have done any real projects. After getting the house last May, I haven't had much time for the fun stuff.

Well, that needed to change...

First though, I needed to find something to make a project out of.........

I had some errands to run last week and I stopped into a little secondhand store that seems to always be closed whenever I do go by- except for this time- it was open!

The place was FREEZING though... absolutely no heat in there.

The owner said she polled a bunch of customers and asked if they would rather she have heat and her have $500-$600 a month electric bills(which would raise the prices) or would they rather bundle up and deal with the cold.

I guess the cold won out. lol

Everyone was walking around bundled up.

I found this round coffee table..... not just any round coffee table but a Heywood Wakefield table.

The top is also a lazy susan.

 It was pretty scratched up and dirty(poor thing).

 It didn't matter; all I could see was potential.

After some good cleaning, checking out my paint stash and looking at my idea board; I came up with this....

(AFTER)

I had been looking for a round coffee table forever!

 (AFTER)

I guess good things do come to those who wait. :)