my practical journal
What was I thinking? (Click here to see original post. and here) We didn't get finished, but we're feeling much better about our neglected space. Removed the splinter. Wood screen doors replaced with vinyl. Fallen tree stumps became side tables. Removable, washable slip covers. A roadside rescue table got a new home. Cleaned … [Read more...]
Back in Oct/Nov '11, I began to dream about a round table. Really. I got a price on having one built, I thought that I could save money. That didn't work out. If you follow me on Facebook, you know that I bought one in Tennessee while I was visiting for my 5 year old grandson's birthday. My daughter and I went shopping and she spotted this … [Read more...]
How many times have you met someone and you know instantly what they need and that you can fix them. He was a stallion for sure, a strong guy with great potential. The minute my eyes met his, I knew he was mine. This summer, I passed up a lamp with a similar guy. I've regretted it every day. I surrounded him with freshness. Ivy, my … [Read more...]
Just in time for Christmas decorating! While I was taking down my fall mantel decor, I remembered that we enlarged our mantel a few years ago and wanted to share what we did. We added three inches to each side and the front by cutting a 2"x 8" piece of lumber to fit over our existing mantel. I would have gone a little larger, but we … [Read more...]
When I was asked if I wanted to try Dutch Boy paint, I jumped at the opportunity. They sent me the paint color fan deck and I picked Lined With Silver. I wandered all through the house, trying to decide which room to paint. You may ask how could I pick a color, if I hadn't picked a room. Easy answer, I have been taking my house from warm … [Read more...]
I bet you thought that I was talking about Pinterest. Yes, I do love that kind of pinning too! I have a confession to make. I use a technique that I learned about 15 years ago. Pinning, in a different way. I was helping my next door neighbor Ashley paint her daughters bedroom. And I was amazed at the lack of nail holes. She shared her … [Read more...]
Setting a Natural Thanksgiving Table Sometimes you don't have to look very far or even leave your house to add that "little extra" to your dining table. I thought about spray painting these acorns, but how could I...with those beautiful natural colors. Save your corks, there's so many things you can do with them. You can always find a … [Read more...]
One simple natural element, oh the possibilities! The idea started with a magazine copy cat challenge. More about that at the end. Spring And I thought, why stop there. I wanted to show how you can reuse the nest for each season. Summer By combining the starfish, nest and white dishes, you have a summer look. Same place card (a … [Read more...]
Back in July, I talked about how much I love Sarah Richardson and how I used her kitchen as inspiration for my own: and then I found a couple of wingback chairs under $40 and had a cute Marine and his wife help me load them on my truck and bring them home and hide them (from Mr. reFresh - because he loves it when I bring junk home) for a … [Read more...]
Sometimes all you need is a tarp and a can of spray paint to change your world, or something like that. I've had these for a while, I think they were some shade of green when I first bought them. I used Krylon Satin Ivory for this project. This is a large ceramic candle holder. I think Kim from Savvy Southern Style has two similar ones. … [Read more...]
