I told myself I wasn’t going to post about Christmas until after Thanksgiving but I just can’t help myself. Christmas comes and goes so fast and what I enjoy most about Christmas is the weeks leading up to the big day. In fact, sometimes the big day is a little anticlimactic after all the frenzied planning. So…
Before I go to town on the kitchen, I thought I’d share the corner that’s getting a little work done. Keep in mind, this is a kitchen housed in an 1875 farmhouse. I have no idea what the original kitchen looked like, but I know for a fact in didn’t have these stock cabinets. (I…
When I was a child growing up, my mother always set a beautiful table for Thanksgiving dinner. She carefully selected a linen tablecloth, matching place settings, cloth napkins, coordinating stemware, and a beautiful centerpiece to make the meal special. Pop cans were never allowed at the table and I enforce that rule in my own…
No, I’m not mad. The only red I’m seeing is a few pieces of red in the house. In about a month we’ll all be seeing a lot more red with all the holiday decorations that will be flying around the blogosphere. And speaking of blogs, November 5th is my one year blogiversary! Anywho ……
After the trick or treaters have come and gone, how will you spend what’s left of your hallowed evening? For me, it’s going to be a relaxing, candlelit bubble bath. Lots of autumn candles scented with pumpkin and cinnamon. Makes me wanna just climb on in. A good book is a must when you want…
Our Fall colors here in Illinois peaked last weekend and now the color is fading and leaves are falling. So when I looked back through my photos of our recent trip to Galena, I enjoyed seeing the changing leaves on the trees. So without further adieu, here’s the remaining photos of the beautiful, historic homes…
Although the dining room is typically the room we use for formal dining like Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, I like to dress up the kitchen nook for special dinners with hubby. We have just enough room in this nook for a cozy table and chairs. The table has a leaf so we can actually seat…
You know, I like my kitchen for the most part but it needs a bit of a facelift … particularly on one side. I don’t have a lot of regular kitchen cabinets like most people. Instead, I have a large built-in cabinet and a few free-standing pieces. The built-in on the left is original to…
Fall is my favorite season! It’s so rich in color and the earth is just bursting with its harvest. There’s a magical feel in the air that stirs the soul on a crisp autumn night lit by a full moon. On recent walks I took some photos of the beauty of this earth and season,…
Who doesn’t want a creatively made home? Well, now that I’ve asked that question I can think of a few friends who don’t care what their home looks like. It’s simply not their priority and that’s perfectly fine with me. We all march to the beat of our own drum, after all. But I’m one…
So I thought I was done with my dining room. But then I submitted a couple photos to Hometalk as part of a Favorite Room thing they were doing and they posted my dining room pic (along with other people’s favorite rooms) on their Facebook page and that’s when the fun began! Some people said…
As I gaze upon the early face of fall and watch the season progress toward winter, I’m reminded of my mother’s journey with Alzheimer’s. The early stages of this disease are now progressing into something more serious for her, but she’s entirely unaware. My grandmother had Alzheimer’s so I’m no stranger to this disease that…
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…
