MIRROR MIRROR………

…….on the wall……could you be any darn heavier!?

Once upon a time there was a mirror.  Looking for an owner.   Heather saw this mirror and thought it had great potential.  This mirror was huge….I mean HUGE!  Almost large enough to be a floor mirror.  But it wasn’t, it was made to hang on the wall.  All 75 plus pounds of it!  She bought it, painted it, and tried (tried being the key word here) to sell it.  But alas……everyone who looked at this mirror said……”man, that thing is huge!”  DUH!   So no one wanted to take the pretty mirror home.  We hung it on the wall in our (then) shop where it, about a month later,  fell and broke everything in its path.  The mirror, being huge and heavy, didn’t have a scratch on it.  We marked it half price.  Still no luck.  Finally I took it home where it has been leaning against the armoire in the living room for months and months waiting for….?  Hubby and I to work up the courage to hang the darn thing.  Which we finally did yesterday.  And guess what…….?

 

It looks fabulous!  I don’t know if you can tell from the picture, but that white thing to the left is the beam to the upstairs balcony, just to give you an idea of how high it’s hanging.  Fortunately, I have very very tall ceilings so the room can handle a large mirror.  It’s hanging from two nails which we pounded into the studs and I’m still nervous about it falling.  But….I am really happy with the way it looks.  With such high ceilings the room needed something like this and it doesn’t look nearly as cluttered over that huge chest as it did with the arrangement that I had before.

Just one question……do you think that black plaque hanging above it is large enough?  I can’t decide.  It certainly needs something up there.  Those two pieces coming up on either side are a little strange looking.  Almost like it maybe originally came with another piece that connected to them?  I don’t know for sure.

Me and glass and “little stuff”!  I’m just too…..I don’t know……different, to just put a candle in a hurricane and call it good.  I have to come up with something “weird.”

Okay, same goes with urns!

The smaller picture that was there has moved over the fireplace.

From there I pretty well lost it.  Do you ever have those decorating days where nothing that you do pleases you?  For one thing, that huge chest with the huge mirror needs huge accessories.  Which I don’t have a lot of.  What ever do people do without books to use as risers?  I use them all over the place and move them often.

I ended up using my corbels side by side AND two books  to raise one of the girls so that she looked in proportion.

Speaking of which…..my newest girl received a new necklace.  I found a bracelet that I forgot that I had and kind of moved the charms around and modified them a little for her.  Fun.  It’s always a good thing when you find something like this.  Almost like buying something new.  Almost.

Well….that’s it for today!  

Denise

SHHHHH!!!

Don’t tell a soul……but I’ve fallen head over heels in love!  With not ONE but TWO much much YOUNGER men.

The oldest, Chase is six and just has the cutest smile and loves to give hugs and kisses.

The youngest, Dylan is three and will loan you his soft “blankie” for a little while if you ask nicely.

They gave T-man a run for his money, I’ll tell you!   But the boys had a great time playing together.

PaPa and I were fortunate to be in Houston to share their birthdays with them. 

Due to my Hubby’s work and other conflicts, he had only seen them a couple of times over the last six years and I had not seen the oldest since he was just a baby and had never seen the youngest, so this was a trip long over due!  

After spending a week with these two cuties, that eight hour drive to Houston seems a lot shorter and will hopefully be happening a couple of times a year!

Besides….with a birthday party as fun as this one…..who would WANT to miss it.  The kids had a blast on the giant water slide!

The grownups enjoyed yummy food.

 

Happy Birthdays to our two youngest grandsons Chase & Dylan!

We love you!  PaPa and DeeDee!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far!

Denise

Monday!

Well…….sometimes it just seems that something is conspiring against you, keeping you from getting things accomplished.  Such was my problem trying to complete my Friday post for the “Where Bloggers Create” party.  It was one thing after another…. from my getting the dates mixed up……. thinking that I knew what I was doing in Live Writer and setting a post date that didn’t post…….Heather coming to the house to post for me only to discover that the electricity was out.  ONLY on the wall where the computer was plugged in.  So here it is Monday evening  and I’m just now getting back to the computer!

Honestly, I really didn’t have much of anything new to show you.  I promise that I will post the newer pics. later in the week!

On the OTHER hand…….I did find some fun places to shop in Houston.

Old Town Spring, TX.  Every shop was situated in a charming old house.  Thad’s was my absolute favorite.  The outside was as beautiful as the inside.

I left Hubby armed with the camera while I shopped, and honestly, he did not capture the full charm of this shop.  It was wonderful!

 

I really would have loved to have this guy, but even at half price he was out of my price range.

I’m not normally big on palms, but the were gorgeous in these huge urns.

The antique store right next door.

My arms were getting full.  Who had time for photos!  I had serious shopping to do.

One of the places that I really really wanted to go was to Anthropology.  We don’t have one here and I had heard so much about there fabulous vignettes that I really wanted to see for myself.  I must say…….I was pretty disappointed.  I’m not sure what I expected.  Maybe I had imagined that it would be something so spectacular that there is just no way that it could have lived up to my expectations.  All I know is that I had sticker shock from the minute that I walked in until the minute that I walked out.  Urban Outfitters was a bit more exciting. 

I had this velvet pillow picked out.  It was actually a little lighter, more turquoise blue in person.

Hubby said “did you find anything you like”  “yeah I REALLY like this velvet pillow” I replied.  He stared at it for a minute and then said “it looks like a tire, complete with tread on the sides.”   MEN!  (insert sigh)   I guess I’ll order it online when he’s not looking.  Not that he said anything else about it.  It just kinda momentarily lost its appeal after that smart remark!   They had two sizes in the store.  I wanted the larger one, wanna bet they don’t sell it online?   That’ll be just about my luck!  

So……I still haven’t gotten around to reading any of my comments from Friday or visiting more than a handful of the beautiful blogs that participated in Fridays party.  I DID notice that my followers list is getting larger and larger!!!   YAH!   I’m such a silly goose!  I know!  I know!  But I love it so much! Thank you, thank you to everyone who is following our blog and for all of the wonderful comments that you always leave.  I appreciate everyone of you soooo much!

So now…..I must go and catch up on everything!  And I do mean EVERYTHING!  I’m knee deep in laundry the house needs to be cleaned,  and I HAVE to catch up on my blog reading!  

See Ya!!!

Denise

My Studio (part 1)

Well,  part one is a repeat of a previous post, I left for Houston and set it to post for the wrong date…so part one…and part TWO to follow the next day!

 

I have been wanting a studio for a long long time.  I’ve tried everything from the kitchen  table to a BIGGER kitchen table but I really needed my own space where I could be “messy” if I needed to be. 

The only solution…..the guest bedroom.  Which also happens to be downstairs near the kitchen and kind of the “hub” of our home.  But, and it was a big BUT, I couldn’t get rid of the bed in that room, what with it being the only other bed in the house other than the master bedroom.  I also had considered a studio outside of and away from the house but after visiting someone else’s I realized that would never work.  It just felt too disconnected and isolated from the rest of the family.  For some people that is probably the perfect work space.  Not for me! 

Now…..I am normally an “I want it done right this very minute” sort of person which usually gets me into big trouble!  Either things don’t fit the way that I had envisioned or something goes wrong.  THIS time I did it the right way.  I thought about it a while and then measured and planned to make sure that everything would fit and….it paid off! 

We had an old folding table in the garage.  The length was 8’ and the depth was only about 2’.  It turned out to be the perfect size for my little limited space.  The inspiration board on the wall now holds all of the “stuff” that I had “stuffed” everywhere!  The cabinet on the left and the two tiered pink table on the right do take up work space but lend texture and height to the space AND help organize my goodies!

Jars on top of the cabinet hold ribbons and other supplies.  Heather made me the “D” plaque for Christmas.  It just now found the perfect home.

The cabinet with the three drawers and the door is a vintage piece that I have had for a long long time.  It was originally an old English window seat.  Now, it’s holding crafting supplies and ribbon.  The pink and brown polka-dot skirt with fringe was a no sew project.  I used the glue gun (until I ran out of glue sticks) and double sided masking tape to adhere everything to the table.  So far everything seems to be holding up well.  I originally had intended to decoupage the table top in old book pages, but it looks okay for now.  Maybe later?

This bucket on a stand which I had never found a good use for, now holds all of my colored pencils.

I am going to paint this corner piece cream and then distress and glaze it.  I’m anxious to shop for new knobs for it also.  The cabinet has great space inside.  Some place for a small T.V. and a computer!

The cabinet is not too tall, which is a wonderful thing for short old me!  Yep….my butterfly fairy lady just insisted on joining the party!

More room to organize fabrics!

Only one thing left to do!  I have GOT to paint the other walls!  YUK!  I hate to paint.

Yep!  The walls are a hideous yellow.  AND I’ve already filled in all of the nail holes.  I’m thinking a really pale pale pink, almost white color.  And….hummmm now that I see a picture of that bed I need MORE pillow shams.  I’m thinkin’ white?  Those two standards in the back…..now that I see a picture, I’m not too sure about them with the shabby chic duvet.  Oh well, don’t you sometimes find that if you just wait awhile and contemplate things, the solution is there waiting for you?

One more thought…….

Why is it that no matter how prepared you are, right in the middle of a big project that you want to finish, you always, ALWAYS, run out of glue sticks?  It’s like some crazy Gremlin is laughing at you and stealing those last two.  I just needed TWO to finish up and I could have sworn that I had plenty when I started!  They’re goin’ under lock and key I tell ‘ya!  I think the universe is conspiring against me!  OH, OOHHH, and then…….then in a last ditch effort to get every single drop of glue out of the glue gun, I have the BRILLIANT idea to stick an unsharpened pencil in the back of the glue gun to force that last little bit out.  Which is how I managed to burn both hands with the glue gun.  (Don’t ask) it involved almost dropping everything and a lot of stupidity!

That’s it for today.  I hope I supplied some great eye candy for everyone!   I’m off to chase ornery Gremlins!

Off To Houston!

Well…..we are off to Houston to visit my step-son and his adorable family.  I’ll have lots of pictures to show you when we return! 

We’re taking T-man with us.  He’s had a rough summer so far with his surgery and deserves a little fun before school starts again.  '

That means we will NOT be travelling on the Harley!  Not that you could get me to go to Houston where it’s mega mega hot on the motorcycle!

Heather will be staying here taking care of the animals and catching up on her painting.

This is a piece in the process of being painted.   I love her new more contemporary design!  I’ll have an after photo when she’s through.  The pieces always look so different when all of the steps are completed. 

Stay tuned for more of that!

And……..I already completed my post for Saturday’s blog Party.  I’ll make sure that it’s posted and up bright and early Saturday morning. 

Well……unless I find something mega crazy to post about while we’re there……I guess I’ll talk to everyone Saturday!

Have a lovely week!

Denise

Tidbits!

Well first and foremost…..I ACTUALLY won a giveaway!  I, who never ever win anything!  Really, never ever.  So I was beyond thrilled when I got an e-mail from Carolee from king of mice telling me that I had won her giveaway during the Mad Tea Party!

This cute potion bottle is going to look fabulous with my Halloween decorations this year!  Just what I needed to add to my collection.  I had really truly been wanting to start a collection of bottles!  Now I have a start and just the excuse that I needed to acquire more!

Thank you  soooooo much Carolee!  I appreciate your kindness and am so excited about my winnings!

Lucky lucky me!

…………………………………………………………………………

Heather had FREE (gotta love that word) tickets to the movie premier of Julie Julia!  The story of Julia Child and her time in Europe when she was struggling to write her first cook book. And the story of Julie, a blogger who in 2002 blogged about and cooked all of the recipes in the book ‘ Mastering The Art of French Cooking’ in 365 days.

I had no idea what to expect but I have to say that it was a WONDERFUL movie.  So so funny and Meryl Streep played Julia Child to a tee!  The vintage costumes were amazing as were the images of Paris, France from that period.  The modern story was also delightful and funny.  The movie goes back and forth between the two stories. 

I absolutely hate to cook but I’m tempted to buy this cookbook after watching the movie.  I said TEMPTED you notice!

Anywho, I would definitely recommend this one as soon as it comes out!  A great chick flick for a “ girls night out” movie!  Which is exactly what Heather and I did.  We had dinner, did so well splitting one meal and having iced tea.  Thought we were doing so well not eating any popcorn or candy during the movie and almost, almost made it to the car but alas….. ice cream was calling our name!  I’d say that pretty well blew it and then some.  But we had a great evening!

Have a wonderful week!

Denise 

My Busy Girl!

Just stopped by to show all of you a few of the things that Heather has been painting.  You can tell that she’s feeling a little better.  She’s been painting away!

Beautiful cream and glazed bed.

Childs table and chairs with the kiddo’s initial in the center of table.

Close up of chair design

And table top

Now that’s a high chair that I would love to have sitting in my house!

You can see this cute chair at the Rink.

This vanity is also there waiting for you!

I hate to brag on my own kid (okay no I don’t) but is her painting beautiful or what?  She is so meticulous and detail oriented.  She doesn’t let me paint, I end up with paint everywhere except where it’s supposed to be, mainly because I have zero patience!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Denise