Happy Fall, Y'all

Fall is here!  The weather and sunshine are so beautiful in lower Alabama, I wish I could hit the pause button.  Temperatures are in the upper 70s/low 80s during the day, the humidity has tapered off, and the angle of the sun just makes my heart ache with gorgeousness.  My house just had to reflect my heart during this season, so I did some fall decorating.

 Here's my felt leaf garland.  I love its cozy, crafty feel.  It was fun and extremely easy to make.  You can even cut while you watch recorded sessions of The Voice.  I might know something about that. 

And my new fall-inspired dish display, featuring cake plates and gravy boats, because aren't cake and gravy two foods worth celebrating?

I tacked some fabric from my stash to the back of my cupboard, an idea I've had for a long time.  It was a pain to do, but worth the irritation of ironing, folding, and sweating it out with thumbtacks.  However, remind me to kick myself; I love it so much, I think I've set a new standard.

Hope you're enjoying your fall season, no matter where your corner of the world!

Spray Paint + Chandelier

I did it!

(More accurately, I asked my husband to do it, and he did it.)

My dining room has a new and improved look in the lighting department.  I scooped up my sister-in-law's cast-off brassy-gold chandelier at her yard sale, and bought a can of the highest quality spray paint.  Jason is much more better and fantastic-er at spray painting than I am, because he is picky about over-spray and tiny details such as I cannot find the time or inclination to notice.  He kindly agreed to paint it for me, after the project had sat in the garage for a long enough creative incubation time.  Nope, that's not procrastination!  It's allowing sufficient time for creativity to hatch.

I cleaned out the hardware store's rack of at least one style of chandelier bulbs, so not all ten of them match.  Maybe a little tacky, but when the lights are on, I dare you to notice.

I would post a picture of the whole thing, but I haven't figured out how to get a good shot of it.  Here is where you can insert a helpful comment. 

Sleepyheads

Yawn.........

Excuse me.

I've been having a lot of mornings like this.

Because of this!

Henry was five weeks old yesterday.  Each day this week,* I've thought how nice it would be to take him to the doctor for another weight check.  And then reality smacks me over the head, and I fall asleep in the recliner to the sound of another recorded PBS Kids show.  I can tell by the way he's pudging out of his skin that he is growing.  His neck is slowly disappearing into a double chin, and his legs are transforming from spindly to creas-ed chubbiness.  I poured him into his "Little Brother" onesie yesterday, determined to get one more wear out of it.  He fussed at my tugs to snap it closed.

A profile picture to keep everyone guessing who Henry looks like.

On Monday, Henry was irritable.  He's usually peaceful and easy to soothe.  I chalked it up to Monday-Monday, but when his fussing refused to level off in the evening, I took a good look at every inch of his little body and found a--gulp--hair in his eye.  It had fallen out of his head and gotten stuck.  How irritating for him! 

And with Valentine's Day coming up, my house needed a little decorating cheer.  I've had this heart garland bookmarked for a long time.  I made it last night while Jason was watching some horrible, nightmare-inducing show about noodling.

I used leftover felt scraps and followed the color scheme of a Valentine's napkin I bought on discount after the holiday two years ago.  (What?  Me?  Save crazy things for long periods of time?  Nah.)

See!  Easy! I sewed it together with fun orange thread and had myself a new garland.

Helen said that Valentines are always red.  If that's the worst critique it gets, I can handle it!

*Except for Tuesday, when I broke out of the house to see my friends at MOPS!

Salt Dough Ornaments with Cinnamon

 Snowflakes are so pretty, especially when it comes to Christmas decorations.  I have crocheted snowflakes, paper snowflakes, plastic-and-glitter snowflakes and a metal snowflake on display.  I learned to cut six-sided snowflakes in elementary school, and I've been fascinated with them ever since, maybe more so now because I'm not shoveling them out of my driveway.

So when I saw these pretty (unpainted) salt-dough snowflakes, I had to try them.  I cringe at detailed painting with craft paint and tiny paintbrushes, and these snowflakes had pen! doodles! on them.  I had the idea to create some words with alphabet cutters, too, and Helen helped me plan those the night before.  Unfortunately, when it came down to cutting out the ornaments, my time (and patience) were thin, evidenced by my tardiness in the school pick-up line.  I was determined to use all the dough I had mixed, so I hand-shaped some initials for the kids and a dove for Quinn. I also rolled out a candy cane and remembered why I stink at play-doh.

I substituted cinnamon for part of the flour, to see what it would do.  Some of the salt crystallized at the surface.  It looks like frost.

I strung the letters together with embroidery floss.

 

Helen suggested we write "beauty."  I couldn't resist her.

They ended up looking more countrified than I would have liked, but they're cute in their own way.  I think they would make great package tie-ons.

I ended up painting the candy cane with a tiny paintbrush and some craft paint.  It's cute.  Jack's thoughts were, "Look!  A candyland is on our tree!" 

So what happened to the snowflakes?  They didn't turn out like my inspiration, to say the least.  I plan to try again later, when my unofficial Cookie Plate Week is over.

The Reluctant Dining Room Makeover

Is it any secret that I have disliked our dining room table and chairs for a long time?  We don't even use the reproduction oak pressback chairs that came with our set because a) they are horribly uncomfortable, b) they are falling to pieces, and most importantly, c) they are not my style.

The dining set came by us at a time when we really needed a bigger table, and it was truly a blessing, so I have to temper my complaints about it, but it really wasn't my dream antique round oak or antique trestle table or something else indescribable that just captivated me.  Not that I'm picky about furniture.  Cough, cough.

After much talk and some Pinterest surfing, I got up the nerve to paint the thing.  I chose to stick with the good ol' Benjamin Moore mayonnaise, partly because we had three half-used cans of it in the shop (which is mostly because underneath my furniture affectations, I'm immensely practical,) and partly because I thought a black table would be too expected, and partly because I thought a bright color (like red or turquoise) would be too, too wrong and startling, and it scared me to bits.  Plus, I had a glimmering hope that using the same shade as my paneling would make the table fade away into nothingness.

Alas.

I also redid our mismatched yard-sale-find chairs with a different can of paint from the shop.  The T-back chairs were already a lovely shade of blue, with fabulous colors peeking through, but they needed a freshening due to a replaced (and exposed and bare) support rail. The color makes me happy, but I'm not convinced it's what my dining room needed.

I was stuck on recovering the cloth seats of two of my chairs.  I had $0 budgeted for this project, so I had to raid my fabric stash.  I came up absolutely empty.  And then my eyes caught some ratty jeans.

Denim?  Nah.  Too country.  Way too country.

But it gave me another idea.  I dove into my discarded clothing pile, and came out with a pair of corduroys.

All said and done, I'm not convinced on the table color or the seat covers, but they work for now.  The table really should be finished with some sort of protective coating (after another coat of mayonnaise to cover up nicks, fingerprints, ink, and rings left from glasses.)  I'm soooo not into country decorating, but I feel extremely locked into it with this table.  Any suggestions?

At least the pumpkins on the table are cute!

And thank you, Daddy, for introducing the kids to the fabulous sound effects one can make while perched on a corduroy-covered seat. 

A Closer Look

Here is a close-up of that wallpaper in the stairwell.
It was installed in the late 70s, as was the carpet:Sometimes I need a reminder of how far we have come in our remodeling. (I refused to walk on this carpet barefoot.)Can you see why wallpaper scares me?

Mmm...Smells Like Lacquer in Here!

Four long years of mattresses on the floor have finally come to an end with the delivery of our brand-new bed today! I'm just so happy, I don't know how to act. I feel like a real, true adult now. New furniture can do that to you.Jason worked on this project off and on for a couple of weeks, with the help and tools of a cabinet maker across the road from us. I am so proud of him! (Aren't you proud of him?) I printed a picture of what I wanted, sketched a few details, gave some measurements, and he did it!
My Dad lent a hand too. He and Jason mixed three different colors of stain to grant my picky-picky wish.
I should have removed the boxes of Kleenex and stacks of running magazines before I took pictures, but the room is a lot cleaner than it normally is. And look! I'll be able to reach my lamp all calm and sophisticated-like now, instead of heaving myself skyward, flailing for the switch. Ooh.

Sweet dreams!

Window Solution

Around 15-17 years ago, when Jason's grandpa and grandma still lived in this house, they bought a hot tub for health reasons.

That independent clause makes me smile.To make room for the tub, they added a room to the house, right off the master bath. It served its purpose, but the room was never an inviting space. By the time we moved in, it needed major repairs. We delayed the project, more pressing needs catching our attention. Baby #4 forced our hand.

It had been my dream to repair the leaky valves in the tub, make over the room and create a little retreat, but in the bright light of practicality, we sold the jacuzzi to a[nother] young farmer for $100. Jason's dad helped him extract the tub. It was a feat that required a whole wall removal. Even Henny Penny was impressed.

They then installed new, beautiful windows. We hired a friend to do some exterior work that Jason didn't have time to do--a new roof!--and then Jason and Jim hung new siding. They had plenty of help.

When my parents came down this past spring, we put Dad to work. Up to that point, we still weren't sure how we were going to finish the walls. We had kicked around the idea of corrugated tin, and I hadn't decided about the exposed brick, but we ended up going with good ol' sheetrock on all four walls, and reserving our pine floor boards leftover from the whole house remodel for the ceiling.
Once again, lots of help was present.

Dad and Jason had a great idea for the interior window that no longer served any purpose. I cannot tell a lie: watching it being removed gave me great satisfaction. (Picture wide grin of mouth with exposed teeth, sucking in of breath and clapping of hands three times quickly in succession, Aunt Mary Jane style.) It had been one of those decorating nightmares that I had tried to ignore. I mean, what do you do with a dysfunctional, useless window to nowhere? Hang a curtain? I didn't even clean it, I was so annoyed with it.I loved their idea, and Jason worked hard on the carpentry. Here's the completed window project--Bathroom side and baby room side! The changing table is directly under the shelf in the baby room.
Now it's one of my favorite parts of both rooms. From shame to glory!

Whereupon I spend a Saturday afternoon sniffing glue

Saturday was restless. It rained off and on. The kids were nutso from being away from home the day before. Jason was tied up with errands for the morning. I had zero motivation. By the afternoon, I was resembling a crazy woman, but fortunately, I was able to hole myself away in the baby room and work on a few decorating ideas I've had forming.

Jason helped by running on the treadmill in the basement; for some reason, the kids love to play downstairs while he is working out. He also had brought in a ladder for me and hung up a mobile I've been working on for oh, I dunno, two years. I gathered all the other necessary tools
and got to gluing! The good ol' E-6000 did the trick, after the failed attempts of thin gauge wire and needle and thread.
The masking tape held the birdies while the glue dried.

I have to admit, I talked to the birds while I hung them. Didn't I mention approaching crazy? Anyway, what good is a project if you can't take out your frustration on it? Here's another secret: I have favorites.


Thank you, Deb, for posting a link to this birdmobile so long ago!

Here's the good ending to this story: We went out for supper.
And though some of the birds have, uh, a more relaxed posture than I would like, none of them had fallen off the next day.

Coming soon--
the mish-mash of yo-yos.

Need New Furniture?

I am one happy person.

Goodbye, navy/hunter green/burgundy plaid!! May you have a more loved life with your new owner.

Hello, beautiful vintage green leather, in reasonable shape with no holes or tears!! You are soft and supple, now that I have cleaned and polished you with saddle soap. You ably cradle your dwellers, creating for them a comfortable, soothing cocoon.

When I am seated, I command the universe from my living room. Behold the power of a well-crafted chair!
One more look, up close and personal, for old times' sake.

Quirks

Here are some objects in my house that I love. You might scratch your head over a few. That's OK. I did too. And then they grew on me.

My Central American napkins (matching tablecloth stowed away) rescued from my mother-in-law's garage sale pile. Mom has brown ones like these, and I have always hated them. Then I saw them in green....Another napkin. And a crystal bread box holding currently-being-read books, an unused bookmark I made for Jay, remotes, pens and Jason's outdated glasses that I can't take him seriously in (poor guy). And the little African animals that I've had to glue over and over, due to my klutzy hand at dusting.
Pink roses from the yard, in a pretty (antique?) pitcher Leslie gave me for my birthday. She's generally a good gift-picker! I say generally......
My flecky bowl! Bought off Lynette at the church yard sale. It's cradling a cinnamon-sugar mixture for monkey bread.
My African violet, purchased at the same yard sale, perched in a cute little antique enamelware bowl from my friend Carrie. It was a birthday present too.
And the dragon. Behold. I bought him off the yard sale as a gag gift for Leslie. But by the time I had hurtled home, he became a keeper. It's a planter, but wouldn't it be great for holding dip or hot salsa? heh heh.