My house is old. Circa 1875. Which means it has a little bit of charm coupled with quirks and oddities. It makes weird noises. Door frames and floors aren’t always straight. The layout doesn’t flow like today’s homes. But I have wide baseboards, divided windows, claw foot tubs, and solid wood doors. You gotta take…
My last trip to Goodwill resulted in a couple of finds that I knew could be transformed. The first project I shared was a little cherub for the wall, which you can see here. The second project is a little crock I transformed into a kitchen utensil holder, with a bit of French flair. I’m…
Shopping the Goodwill store is hit or miss, and in our area, it seems like there are more misses than hits. I think I still have a complex from my mother though, who would never be caught dead in Goodwill. “What do I want with someone else’s junk?” is what she would always say. She…
Several years ago I purchased an Ikea cabinet to house my computer. The pieces came in a box with illustrative assembly instructions (no text – just pics). I’m proud to say I put this cabinet together all by myself. Although the wood grain was pretty, I decided to paint and embellish it. This is the…
Have you heard of Trash the Dress? Apparently this is a new phenom where brides have a photo shoot of mucking up their wedding dress … after the wedding of course. My daughter Bridget trashed her dress in the city of Chicago last year after her October country wedding. (She didn’t really trash her dress…
“Butterflies are self-propelled flowers.” ~ R.H. Heinlein Two things I’m lovin’ these days … French Script … and Butterflies! So when I saw a beautiful French script butterfly wreath in one of my fave stores, I really wanted to buy it. But at $36 and some change, I just couldn’t bring myself to open…
Tonight was my first visit to the Na-Da Farm Barn Sale, and it did not disappoint. A few fellow bloggers were setting up booths at this market and I was especially looking forward to meeting them in person. All the wonderful eye candy and trinkets for sale were simply the frosting on the cake. Located…
I don’t know why, but I think one of the best arrangements of art on a wall is a medley of mirrors. In my humble opinion, they don’t have to match. Pair a contemporary mirror with an antique mirror. Tuck a rustic mirror next to a gilded mirror. Color doesn’t matter either … white, blue,…
My oldest daughter Stephanie gets married next June. As we plan for her formal wedding at Hotel Baker in St. Charles, I find myself looking back to my youngest daughter Bridget’s wedding this past October. While Stephanie’s wedding is all glitz and glam, Bridget’s wedding was a DIY rustic wedding held on a farm. We…
About 3 months ago I started a bottle collection. Some of the bottles I’ve left in their original state, and some I’ve been prettying up with paint and embellishments. This past Saturday I visited Cracker Jax in Dekalb and scored two finds. One was a creamy matelasse coverlet and another was this adorable little perfume…
Lately I’ve been lovin’ bottles. I’m going to blame it on Rosemary over at Villabarnes. Ever since I bought 2 of Rosemary’s bottles (one from her Etsy Shop and one from her booth at the flea market), I just can’t get enough of bottles. I’ve actually been playing with her Old World finish a bit on…
About 15 years ago I bought a little black desk for $35. Since that time, it’s been painted a couple different colors … mainly because I was never satisfied with it. But now, I think that’s all changed. I think my little desk has finally discovered who it was meant to be. This is the after…
Last weekend I took a little detour on the way home from seeing my daughter. Rather than turn right toward home, I turned left to venture down a dirt road that leads to Garfield Farm and Tavern. It had just snowed and I knew the historic farm on 281 acres would present me with some…
Beautiful flowers and quotes to enjoy as you anticipate spring’s arrival … “I hope to someday meet God because I want to thank Him for the flowers.” ~ Robert Brault “I’d rather have roses on my tables than diamonds on my neck.” ~ Emma Goldman “The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places…
Town and Country Living is a blog about living life where the western ‘burbs of Chicago give way to the farm fields of Illinois. I love both the city and the country and want to write about all of it … urban and rural scenery, decorating with special finds from nearby boutiques, cooking veggies grown in the garden, special…
I know what you’re thinking … gross, right? That’s what I thought when I saw a recipe for Lettuce Arugula Soup. Didn’t we learn as children that anything green tastes terrible? I thought this soup sounded so disgusting but yet, I was intrigued and had to try it. Fate laughed in my face as I fell in love with…
