I can't believe I did it!

When LB and I started working on the kitchen I decided we, actually he, needed to build a window seat in the bay window.  This window originally looked out on the backyard but now it looks out on my disaster studio.  I realized this area had become a big dumping ground and the space was TOTALLY wasted.  Once he built it I decided I could make a cushion and upholster it.  Sure I could.  Absolutely.  I obviously was suffering from a mental breakdown.  I showed you a couple of shots of the process early this week and here it is.  I did it!  This is how it started.  A wonky cut piece of foam.

 Here it is!  Isn't it purty???  I did learn that pulling fabric over foam sucks!  It doesn't pull.  I worked on it a little more today to get it on there smooth.

 Just look at that professional piping.  I made 40 feet of it.  FORTY!

 How about that zipper?  It is 60 inches long.  I didn't know you could buy them so that you can make them any length you want.  I know now.

So now I need pillows for the back, new floor and rugs.  So the kitchen is getting close to being done.  Not sure I can convince LB to do anything with the floor but I'm hoping.  I have an idea on the pillows.  If it works out I'll share but it could turn into an epic fail.  

Have you ever flown by the seat of your pants and made something you had no clue how to do when you started?  If not I highly recommend it.  When you finish and it isn't an epic failure it is the best feeling.

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM

Rumors of my demise are not true...

I just realized it had been FOREVER since I posted anything.  I've just been busy as a beaver.  I don't really know what all I've done but it must have been something since I haven't been here in days.  Here's a little recap of my last week.

After much cutting I ended up with this.

Which then turned into this.

 Over 40 feet of this.  Let me tell you by the time I was done it seemed like 40 million feet.

I just finished playing working with all that and now have this.  Doesn't look too impressive does it? 

 Can you see the awesome inset zipper?  No?  Trust me it is AWESOME!

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to show you what all this fabulous hard work is going to be.  I'm hoping it turns out since I have no idea what I'm doing.  It's called flying by the seat of your pants.

 This sweet box came in the mail Friday.  I waited patiently to open it after I worked on the above items. I did manage to get one little thing done with this.  I promised myself I would do the one thing I've been dying to do then go back to the above nightmare project.  So maybe tomorrow there will be two things to show you.

I did manage to slip some quality time with LB in.  I have quite the story about that to tell.  We also tried out a new church this weekend.  It's a smaller parish and I think we are going to like it.  SO what fun fabulous things did you do this weekend?

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM

Twirly, curly....

I was using this ribbon the other night for a project.  It's wired and I didn't want wired ribbon.  I started pulling the wire out because it was at least midnight and I wasn't going to run out in search of other ribbon.  Some nights I would've run out, but I was going to make this work.  Once I started pulling the wire out it made this fascinating twirled curled ribbon.  It really got the creative juices flowing.  Stay tuned...

In other news I caught the love of my life Coke Zero can in the picture.  I'd marry it if I wasn't already married and could marry a can of coke.  I truly love Coke Zero.  In a can.  From here.  Not a fountain one.  I'd admit I'm addicted to it but then I'd have to go to rehab after a family intervention and I have way too much I need want to do.  Any beverage you love to death, won't give up???

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM

Auction, Auction, What Came From the Auction!

Saturday we went to an auction and found some neat prizes for great prices.  I certainly wasn't looking for, or needed, any of these but they were such great deals I couldn't pass them up.  I got a couple of other things but I'm saving them to show another day when I have better light.

I just LOVE this lamp.  It is so sparkly and fabulous.  The hanging crystals around it are really long.  I'd say at least 7 inches long.  So pretty and sparkly.  SHINY!  It had this little bitty sad black and white shade that made the whole lamp look awkward.  This was just a shade I had hanging around the house.  Hence the plastic still on it.  No, we don't leave the plastic on lamp shades around here.  We are heathens but not that bad.

Here's a closer shot of those fabulous crystals.

I got six of these glasses.  I didn't have an idea of who made them but they were pretty, pretty.  I have now learned they are the Pied Piper pattern produced by Heisey from 1922 - 1942.  Bet if they could talk they would have quite a story.

Here's a close up of the detail.  I literally unwrapped them from the newspaper and shot these pictures before I lost all daylight.  You can see how grungy they are.  I'll have to take some pictures once they are clean but you get the idea.

This is a Fairy Light in Fenton Hobnail Milk Glass.  I don't collect Milk Glass but this was so sweet I couldn't leave it behind.  You put a tealight inside it so it glows.  I'll see if I can't get a picture of that for the future also.  I know I suck.  Why didn't I think of all these pictures before I posted?

Last but not least is this sweet little dresser powder jar.  ( I had to research what it was too.)  The bottom is cut glass and the top is a decorated celluloid and I'd guess the metal is brass.  The metal isn't perfect but I think that leads to some of the charm of the piece.

So those are a couple of my recent finds that I'm currently in love with.  Have you found anything fabulous on the cheap recently?

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM

New look, old item...

So the other day I showed you a table I've had hanging around the house. (here) Well I finally finished working on it this weekend and got some pictures.  I've moved it around and still haven't found it's forever home, and I'm not certain that will be here at the house, but here are some pictures I took so you could see how pretty it looks now.

I love the light and dark wax on this piece.  I think it gives it great depth and texture.  Great depth, doesn't that sound fancy?

 The above is a close up of the gilding wax.  I used both gold and silver to give it texture.  I didn't put either on with a heavy hand and I love the luster it adds.  Just a little touch of whimsy...

 There were a couple of rough patches on this piece and I left lots of brush texture.  I just roughed it up a little for a slightly distressed look.

I added incandescent light in this picture because let's face it, that is how it most often looks in a house. It's interesting to me how this color Paris Grey, by Annie Sloan, takes on color in different light sources. 

I dig the way this cut glass ashtray looks on it.  I know no one smokes anymore but I like the way ashtrays look.  I guess because when I was a kid people smoked so they always had ashtrays.  Do you like anything that isn't really used anymore?

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM

Sleepy...

I was just keeping your spot warm, but I got so sleepy.....

Every night when I go to bed this is what I find.  A very sleepy Min Pin in my spot.  This is Rickey Hill and he really thinks I need to find a new place to sleep.  Often he is on my pillow but tonight he was stretched out across my spot.  For such a small creature, all 9lbs., he sure takes up a lot of room in a bed. I'll scoop him up when I get in the bed and he moans like I am ruining his life.  Between him and LB it's a wonder I get to sleep in the bed at all.

Do you have to share your sleeping place with other bed hogs?  

In other news I'm heading to a new auction tomorrow.  I've been to the same auctioneer's auction in another town but not in the one I'm going to tomorrow.  Hopefully I'll have some fun things to show you in the coming week.

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM

Some days....

Some days you feel like this and know the train is just around the corner and heading this way.  It's just been like that all day...

Sometimes you just need to take a nap and get over it.

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM

Just a quick preview...

Seems life has been keeping me hopping and I haven't had time to post anything thrilling or very fun this week.  I have been working on a project that I can't wait to show you.  I found the table on the left a while back and it has been sitting in the garage waiting for me to show it some love.  I've been working on it when I can and as soon as I can get some pictures in good lighting I'll show you what it looks like now.

You can sorta see the damage to the top and other blemishes it has in the following picture.

Unfortunately I was excited and didn't think to take any good pictures before I started working on this piece.  These are two that were taken in the store where I got it.  It came from Sugarbee's in Hazlehurst, MS.  If you haven't been there you should stop by.  It's a great little shop and they are so friendly and helpful.

I'll reveal the new look as soon as I get a chance.  It's rained all week here and is really turning cold.  I hope the sun is shining on you!

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM

Life

I saw this while strolling around in TJ Maxx yesterday.  I think it is a great quote and certainly something to think about.  It's easy to just go along marking time and forget that life is an adventure.  A friend lost her husband of over 40 years this weekend and my heart hurts for her.  I think they really lived this quote.  It made me think a lot.  I hope I live life this way.  I'm going to try to from here on out anyway.

LB is playing Skylanders on the Wii again and having so much fun.  It makes me laugh just to watch him.  He plays that game with intensity only a left brain can.  I just love him!

I hope you are living a daring adventure.  Think about it!

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM

Weekend Entertainment and a Lovely Tree

It was a dreary weekend around these parts.  Very dreary, but I managed to find somethings to do to pass the time.  LB was doing his duty to the country so he wasn't around to entertain me.  Sorry I just ran out of time and didn't get a post out yesterday.

BF and I went to an auction yesterday.  I had never been to this particular auction and we ended up being there from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. last night with an hour drive home.  We did find some prizes and ended up cleaning our loot until around 10.  There were lots of fabulous things and furniture.  Turns out that auction is the largest this company holds all year.  Lots of things sold for retail or higher but our prizes we got cheap, or cheap enough we would buy them.  Look for pictures of our prizes later this week.

Today I took The Nelson to brunch for her birthday with BF at IHop then came home and worked on a furniture project that has been in the works.  It is almost finished so I'll post pictures of it soon.

The following is a picture I took New Years Eve.  I think it may be one of the best pictures I have ever taken.  I took it on a lark at Bellingrath Gardens.  I never thought it would turn out since I didn't have a tripod with me or that I would love it so.  I think I'm going to print it and hang it somewhere in the house.

I posted a color picture a couple of days ago but this is the final edit.

A new week is starting in the morning.  Hope everyone had a great weekend and the week brings fabulous new adventures.

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM

I love this pig!

It's true, I love this pig.  His name is Smiley and he was produced by the Shawnee Pottery Company in Ohio probably in the 1940's.  My paternal grandmother had a cookie jar just like him.  One day I hoped he would be mine but hers was destroyed in a fire.

I searched high and low for a Smiley just like hers.  I searched for YEARS.  I looked in antique stores, junk stores, online and anywhere I thought I might find one.  Over the years I found a few.  They were damaged or I couldn't afford them at the time or some other reason.  I found his two friends at a consignment store in my town but never Smiley.  I guess I was meant to wait for the right Smiley, this Smiley.  I found him on Ebay.  I watched the auction everyday.  It ended at o'dark thirty in the morning.  I set an alarm and got up and stumbled to my computer.  As the seconds ticked down I waited and in the last five seconds I placed my bid.  This is a scary thing.  You can lose an auction and miss out or you can win big.

 So here he is in my hutch that my mother gave us when we were first married with other treasures.  He stands proud with his two friends.  Every time I see him I smile.  It brings back wonderful memories of my grandmother and all the cookies she baked.  Although he isn't the "original" Smiley he makes me feel the same way I did when I would get a cookie out of hers.  

Is there something you have searched high and low for?  Something that brings you pleasure because of the memories it evokes?  I hope so.  If not, keep looking for the special item that makes you feel that way.  Your "Smiley" is out there waiting for you.

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM

Funky Fruit to Fantastic

These two fans were here when we bought this house.  They are on the sunporch that is now my studio. They do not say hip awesome art created here.  I'm not exactly sure what they say.  But they do say Hunter and that is a good thing.  I lived with them for 5 years.  Five long years of pretending they weren't hanging over my head EVERY day mocking me in their fruity way.

Please ignore the dust and just see the ugly fruit.

I don't like fruit on anything other than a plate when I'm about to eat it.  I certainly don't like it on fan blade arms. What about that  1980 blue plaid around the top?

So what's a girl to do?  Why get a can of spray paint in Oil Rubbed Bronze out and go to town.

I flipped the blades to the faux wood side since it was better than the white.  Painted everything and put it back together.

I'm not certain I love the faux wood look but I can't decide what would look better.  If you have any idea what would look better on the blades please let me know.  I do know that the fans look 100% better after being sprayed.

What have you used spray paint on to make it go from horrid to happy??

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM

 

The joys of home ownership...

I came home for lunch with LB today.  It was great.  The following was not.

I wasn't sure what happened.  There was a loud popping sound and metal twisting and this is what resulted.  Kill me, kill me now.

Not sure what that wire is hanging out but I know enough to know it shouldn't be there.

LB had already left the house when I opened the garage door.  I blew up called his phone several times, like SEVEN times, and of course he didn't answer.  I wanted to stomp my foot and scream, but I didn't.  What to do, what to do?

Look, not only is the door screwed up, you can see that there is a bunch of crap piled up in the garage and the test trim paint color adds lots of class.

I called the land line at his office and left a message that he needed to turn around and come back home.  When he got here he wasn't nearly as discombobulated as I was.  He went to work and got to bending and fixing and the door mostly looks like it looked before.  I swear mechanical things just bend to his will.  

It's still broken, a ginormous spring that helps bring the door up snapped, but it can be fixed.  I'll be calling the garage door doctor to get it fixed because it isn't a simple home repair fix.  I was only 45 minutes late getting back to the office.  I think this garage door hates me.  Ah, the joys of home ownership...

Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss!

SNM

Raccoon?

I think I may have been a raccoon in a former life.  I love anything that is glittery or shiny.  I swear I can be walking along and be in mid-conversation and all of the sudden, OHHH SHINY!  I'm certain some of it is the Squiggle that I am and I'm also certain the ADD doesn't help but it just amuses me that glitter makes me giddy.  I saw a quote on Pinterest that spoke to my soul. "Some girls are just born with glitter in their veins..." I should have a tattoo of that quote.  Here are a couple of crappy pictures I took today with my cellphone that spoke to my inner raccoon.

This was so shiny I wanted to die.  LURVE it!

Every girl needs a glittery crown right? 

 Red glitter, yum.

 These bracelets were HUGE but so shiny and lime green.  I didn't buy one but I wanted to.

So what animal do you think you could've been in a past life?

Love, love, kiss, kiss!

SNM

How we rang in the new year

LB's parents have started an annual tradition where the whole family gets together to ring in the new year on Dauphin Island, Alabama.  If you've never been to Dauphin Island you should immediately plan to go.  It's not commercial like many of the populated Gulf barrier islands which some people don't like, but I think it is quite charming and we always have a good time on the island.  I think if LB and I were to move to the Gulf region we would want to live on Dauphin Island.  Not that there are any plans to move.  We'll be working on this house for a long time.  The rule is once a house is finished that's when you always end up moving.  I hate moving...  Sorry, I'll get back on topic now.

We met a new friend on the beach.

We took the kids to hunt shells and walk the beach.

There were shells or shell pieces everywhere.

The fog moved in on Saturday morning and didn't leave till Sunday.

The kids, including LB, played Skylanders on the Wii for hours.

 

 The whole family went to Bellingrath Gardens to see the lights.

 I got some of the light displays reflected in the water.

 I took this cool picture with the tree reflection in the water.

 We shot fireworks and played with sparklers.

 Pop Pop slept through the ball dropping in Times Square.

Sunday morning we all packed up and headed in several different directions.  The girls went to Dillards for their 50% off sale.  LB and his wingman played a final round of golf on the island.  Pop Pop went to check on the boat and Nana headed home with the Wii and the children.  Nana gets the saint award because she had the hardest job on Sunday.  We all regrouped at Nana and Pop's house for some black eyed peas, greens and cornbread before heading home.  It's always sad when family has to go their separate ways.  The girls tried their best to hold onto me so I couldn't leave but LB insisted and real life called.  It was a great start to 2012.

I have a little project using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint I started before Christmas that I plan on rolling out and working on later this week.  Hopefully I'll have pictures of the progress soon.

Hope 2012 started great for everyone!

Kiss, kiss, love, love!

SNM