Barn idiot of the day...

Been busy, no pictures or projects to share at the moment.  But I do have a pretty funny story if you want to laugh at me and can appreciate horse stories.  You can read about it at my horse related blog.  I am still smiling.  I am always so relaxed and happy after riding my horses even when all doesn't go quite the way I planned!

What I do after work...

Well, this isn't exactly decorating or arts and crafts. But it is one of the reasons I moved to the country. I went outside to feed our 'mice catchers' the other day, and I ended up spending an hour just watching and playing with the kittens and dogs. They just make me smile.

This is Daisy. Don't you just want to touch noses with her?!


And this is Roxy. She is a bit bigger and bolder than her sister.



Don't they pose nicely? Although I am not sure the birds will appreciate cats using their house as a perch next spring...



Roxy and Max are playmates. She teases him. He chases her. And they wear each other out. He still yelps and jumps backwards if she puffs up and hisses at him. Max is my big bad lapdog!

Thanks! I've been featured!

Woo Hoo! Blogland is so motivating and rewarding. Gotta love it when someone takes time out of their day to comment on something you have posted. And it feels really good when someone gives you space on their blog.

Thanks to Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for posting my dropcloth slipcover as her Todays Hot Find!  And to Cheri at Its So Very Cheri for featuring my 'slipcover' dog collars!

Time for gathering, arranging, and tweaking

I am joining in the fun at Funky Junk Interiors for the Saturday Nite Special vignette part. And discovering I have a lot of work ahead of me. I had trouble finding any vignettes... I don't feel too bad as I am still getting settled in our new home. But this has definitely motivated me to pull out some of the things I like and start playing around with different groupings.

The grouping below is in the eating area of my kitchen. The crow is a visiting for Halloween as is the little black picture.


This sits in my sunroom. It should be time for my Hoya to think about blooming this winter again.


Another spot in my sunroom. I so love this crusty little stool. One of those things you probably either love or hate...



Old books raising a bedside lamp up to a user friendly level. Anyone remember reading any of these as a young girl?




Have you figured out that I have very eclectic taste? The chamber pot is used for collecting my change. The little porclain drawer holds the jewelry I wear on a daily basis.



I think tomorrow I will be taking some time to gather, arrange and tweak. And now off to see what inspiration I can gather from what you all have done.

Just for Fun

Some days are meant for playing and creating. A little of this, a little of that. See what happens. Much like building a nest, putting bits and scraps together to create something.

Dragonflys...

Fabric scraps and old buttons...



Paper bits and game pices...



Nesting





I am linking to Between Naps on the Porch. Don't miss the great ideas you'll find there.




Also linking up to A Soft Place to Land.

Decorator's Dream Dog Collar

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night with an idea? And when you get up in the morning it still seems like a good idea? And it works!!

Ginger and Max (our dogs) get to go to doggie daycare one day a week. There are really cool collars and leashes on sale in the lobby. They have bright decorative designs and they are expensive. And I think I would get tired of some of the bright prints after awhile. I decided I could probably make my own collars for quite a bit less money. Then my middle of the night inspiration hit. Velcro! I could use Velcro and decorate the collars and never get tired of any one particular print!

Pick a fabric, add some Velcro, and my dogs now have a wardrobe to wear for play and socializing. I am just thinking about the fun of having holiday theme collars, season appropriate collars, and even match my decor collars.....





Poor Max. He was not so thrilled about having his evening nap interrupted for a photography session. But he is so handsome.




Here is a close up picture. It works with adjustable collars just fine.





My husband pointed out that I have ignored Ginger in my photos recently and it could be harmful to her self esteem. She is a golden retriever/collie cross. She doesn't sit still often unless she is napping... and she is like Velcro herself. It is hard to get her to stay arms length away if she is awake to take a picture. But I digress. Here is Ginger modeling her new collar!



Gotta love it when dreams come true (in a manner of speaking). I am thinking I might even be able to sell these.

I am sharing this idea at Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special!  She has a great blog and you are sure to find some wonderful projects there!

Dropcloth project

I got it done! Remember the dropcloth teaser I posted. Well here is the full project. This is the chaise lounge that fits wonderfully in my sunroom. Unfortunately, one certain German Shepherd/Rottweiler puppy named Max thought it was a great chew toy. We came home one day and Max had dragged it across the living room in our previous house. He was still a lap size puppy at the time.

After reading about the wonderful things one could do with Home Depot drop cloths, I decided it was time to tackle the slip cover I had been thinking about. Here is Max checking things out mid fitting. This is still his favorite peice of furniture. But now he naps on it rather than chews on it. Thank goodness!! I am afraid he could do a bit more damage now that he weighs about 100 pounds more than when he originally claimed the chaise.




We are a very pet friendly home. Max isn't the only one to share this napping spot with me. Baby had to check things out also.



I think she agrees! This project was a success! I love that it turned out just the way I imagined. And slipcovers are as easy as they make it look on HGTV shows. I still have to finish the pillow cover, but couldn't wait to post.





Here is another close up of the pleats. What do you think? Can I consider this a success?

Check out all the other great projects you will find at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday.

And don't miss the projects at The DIY Show Off. 

Last, but not least, check out The Shabby Nest for even more great projects.

Season change

“Kindness is like snow - it beautifies everything it covers”
-unknown-

Love those Home Depot Dropcloths

  I am loving the way this project is turning out.  Don't you just love it when you can make what you imagine into reality.  But you will have to wait for the finished project...

Orange isn't just for Halloween

Remember to heck out The Shabby Chic Cottage.

October means gray rainy days with the threat of rain turning into snow. Somehow it always seems like the temperature dropped 30 degrees overnight. And I think it actually did this year!!



October means pulling out sweaters, tights, jackets and gloves. It means cozying up the house in preparation for winter.



One of the ways to warm up and cozy spaces is with color. Warm color. Sunshiney (I am sure that is in the dictionary...) colors. And one particular basement bathroom really needed to be warmed up.



Pick an unusual warm color. Get creative and mix that warm color with a home made touch of romance. Old sheet music and old sheet scraps transformed.



oohhh, I like that. Later I will show you the rest of the room. I am sure showers in this bathroom will feel warmer and more enjoyable even when it is dark, and cold, and snowy outside...

Hmm, wallpaper border or tile....

I am linking to A Soft Place to Land for Do It Yourself Day and Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday.




  






I found time this weekend to make some changes to my bathroom. There was another wallpaper border in the bathroom that needed to be gone. (The kitchen border disappeared first.) I can appreciate Victorian whimsical when it is in someone else's house, but not mine!  I found some travertine tiles that matched the tub surround and tackled the job of tiling a border. This led to repainting the bottom half of the wall when the placement marks for the wallpaper boarder wouldn't wash off.

Ahh, the stone tiles look better don't they? Much more spa like! And all the better to appreciate the bubbling tub I inherited. It has lots of tiny holes all around rather than large jets. Feels wonderful. I don't know what it is officially called.



Here are some of my decorative touches. I hung these white shelfs which give me some great space for combining decorating and storage. I love bottles. Here are some old ones and some I decorated. I need to do some more finessing here. I will add some decorative touches to the candle on top to go with the red accents.





And this is one of the details that I see others do and really like. Rather than looking at the commercial label on the soft soap, I glued on some burlap and ribbons. Ta daa!




I really do have the world's best husband. Sorry all, he's mine!! I came home from riding tonight and stepped into the bathroom and found that my stone birds ($2.00/ea at Gordman's--score) were having this conversation. That made me smile!

And if you made it this far, I have something to pass on. Cindy at Cottage Insticts is doing a give away of the home made soaps she sells. I LOVE home made soaps!  Don't they just look yummy!?