When I bought the new buffet, it replaced the dry sink which meant the dry sink needed to move. The dry sink took up residence where the bookshelf used to be. The bookshelf didn’t belong in the dining room anyway. The dry sink is painted white using regular latex paint. I think I’m going to…
One of my favorite weekend trips is a visit to historic Galena, Illinois. Even Midwest Living magazine has featured it on many occasions. Home of Ulysses S. Grant, Galena’s main street is a shopping mecca of boutiques, antique stores, and many restaurants. But what I love most about Galena is its rolling hills and historic…
One of my favorite local stores has some truly creative pieces within its walls, and one such piece was a very cute, shabby lampshade made with strips of fabric. I really wanted it … but it was $55. I gave it a good once-over and decided, “yep, I can make that myself.” And so I…
I wasn’t expecting it. Really, I wasn’t. A recent trip to Carter’s Cottage for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint resulted in taking home more than a simple can of paint. You can’t just go into Carter’s, grab some paint and go. No, you have to look around and admire all the new eye candy that the…
Special Note: The winner of the French Box Giveaway is revealed at the end of this post. Each year, the church down the street from me has their big sale to raise money. Every year I find something and this year was no different. A couple of chairs were sitting outside just waiting for their…
When the weather turns cooler, I find myself spending more time in the kitchen. Fall always puts me in the mood to cook and bake. Maybe it has something to do with harvest time. Last year this time I was busy canning tomatoes from the garden. This year, the crop wasn’t so hot and there’s…
Have you met Kathryn from The Dedicated House? She’s my Button Swap partner for the month of September, which is a fun get-together for bloggers to hook up. The button swap is hosted by Ethereal Plus What I Love. The idea is to get to know your button swap partner and give ’em some blog…
This past weekend my daughter and I ran the Fox Valley Half Marathon, which means I’ve been a little too tired to think about decorating and taking photos. So I poked around my folders and found a slew of old house pictures that I never posted! How did that happen? So without further adieu, here…
This past Wednesday I had the pleasure of going to my boss’ lake house in Wisconsin. Every year he appoints one week where groups of employees go to his lake house for the day. Did I mention we get paid for this day of boating and leisure? It’s true! I work as marketing communications manager…
My blog is dedicated to both Town and Country living, but it dawned on me I haven’t posted anything country as of late … other than country decorating. So this post is dedicated to country scenes not too far from my house. I love my old home in the center of town, but I’d love…
Although Autumn is my favorite season, I hate letting go of Summer, so the arrival of Fall is bittersweet for me. Fall brings with it a rich range of colors but I thought for the end of summer, a neutral tablescape would be the perfect choice. I started with a strip of dropcloth and added…
A couple months ago I had every intention of offering a giveaway for my 100th post. Well, my 100th post came and went. So now, a few blog posts beyond 100 I’m giving away 2 French style boxes. The first box is this little cream number that I just finished altering. It measures about 6.5″…
This weekend marks the third time this year that I’ve painted the bathroom. And I’m happy to say I think I finally found the right color and the right touches. Still a few more tweaks to be made but I think I’m on the right track now. Took long enough! Here’s my beloved claw foot…
For the longest time I’ve been looking for a full length mirror to put in the bedroom. I either see a gorgeous mirror with a price tag I don’t like, or I see the right price but the mirror is just so-so. I didn’t want to settle. I didn’t have to. I found the oval…
If you follow my blog, you know I like to take exterior photos of historic homes in the area and give ya’ll a tour. Recently I found that one of those historic homes in Geneva is now up for sale and I was able to grab some interior photos (source of photo if not mine…
Little burlap bags can be used for so many things like party favors filled with trinkets or candy, or used as a gift bag to hold a gift card, jewelry, or money. For today’s tutorial, I’m showing how to make small, decorative bags. Once you make the basic bag, you can embellish it however you…
