This Is For The Birds..No, Really It Is

Dollar store strikes again. I bought these birds for what else a dollar each, but couldn't just leave them alone. This is a semi before picture, because I had already started to paint it.
space

space
I used just plain old white craft paint, but it was a little too white. I started mixing this and that...a little cream, a little tan and it came out to the perfect creamy white.

space

and here they are in all their glory...so proud to come from the dollar store. Actually, now that I look at this picture, everything in it is either clearance or consignment. Except for the little books...they were the girls' when they were babies. I just love the color of them and the memories too.
space

I did leave one in it's original color...brown with flecks of blue, because it match a little area in the kitchen.

Old white lamps that were in the girl's room when they were little, spray painted black...

and a cute little metal cake stand that was 75 cents at my favorite consignment shop. The nest with the blue eggs were on clearance too.

I think you get it by now...I don't pay full price for anything.
space
I did do a little sewing this weekend and some of it is for tomorrow's Tool Time Tuesday.
space
See you tomorrow,
~Karen~

Office Calendar Update...

I received a few emails about our family office/computer room that I spoke of in the window calendars in the previous post.
space
Thought I would share a few pictures of the room. This room was originally our dining room, but we always have holidays with both my side of the family and my husband's side, so the room was not big enough as a dining room. To be honest we're not the fancy dining room family any way. We're very casual and have too many little ones around to worry about anything breaking or getting messy. Very relaxed here!!
space
The corner cabinets were original to the house and we did have them white at one point, but painted them black not too long ago. They hold all the books and dictionaries. There are the calendars on the left.

space
Here's the view coming in from the kitchen hallway. Two recliner chairs face the desk. This room is usually filled with my daughters and their friends...always lots of laughing coming from that room!
space


Here's one of the corner recliners. Great for reading. I found that little table at a yard sale for $2.00. I started to sand the paint off and realized I liked the different shades of off white and then found the green that matched the chair on the last layer of paint. So I left it in the sanding stage.
space

space.

Kind of shows where it's been in it's long life.
space

This view is from the desk into what is now our dining room, but not really a dining room, just our kitchen table.

Our kitchen is through the arch way on the right. No table in there just an island and all the cabinets and such.

Also wanted to share a couple thrifting deals that are on the table.

This cylinder and black base thingy was only $4.00. I think the real apples cost more to fill it up, but they were worth it, because they've been in there since before Easter.

This is the after of the topiaries .

This is the sad before picture...an after Christmas deal at $2.00.

The greenery was so thin you could see the foam base.

I removed the silver decorations, added more ivy and re glued the stick.

I painted the silver base black and added moss...

then changed that to a better moss that I bought at the dollar store. I love the dollar store!!

Hope you enjoyed the little office tour. I have another dollar store redo, so I'll be back tomorrow.

space

Take care,

~Karen~

Little corners around the house...

Thought I would show you a few corners of our home:

Our masters bathroom. I love toile, but this is the only room I have it in. It's nothing fancy: no great tile work in the tub, or steam showers, or expensive sinks, just a simple bathroom. One thing I did do was not add a closet...instead I used 2 different parts of a hutch: the bottom of one hutch and the top of another and painted it black. The little tiny drawers in the middle are actually cd holders I bought at Staples office supply. They fit perfectly in that space. I labeled (of course I labeled, I label everything) each drawer: q-tips, nail polish, deodorant, medicine, hair clips etc. There is another black corner cabinet that holds towels and such. The little folding screen is for the cat's litter box. I know... an unmentionable, but I'm keeping it real as they say on other blogs. I don't know about you, but it's easier to keep it in there because it always gets scooped and it's not in the main part of the house. Ok, enough about that. The little opening is the door for her to go through, and I made it out of toile, what could be better.

As I'm looking at this picture, wow, once you take down all the Christmas decorations, I need to put back some color in there.

This little bucket of tulips is in a little corner of our bathroom next to the sink, but on the floor. I change out the flowers for each season. I know...silk...but they serve a very important purpose and have to be fake. In that bucket is my hair dryer that is always plugged in. I hide the dryer and the cord so it's always ready when I need it, but not out in the open for all to see. I just lift out the flowers, dry my hair and when I'm done plunk the flowers back on top!

That little night stand in our bedroom was my grandfathers. It was actually in his workshop. He was a cabinet maker and he kept his tools in there!! The patina is just great...all the scratches and dings.

This is a jar of sea glass that sits on the night stand beside the bed. We live on the east coast about 10 minutes from the beach. This jar is a collection of bits and pieces from different spots over many, many years. The kids still love finding it!

This is a corner in a master bedroom...looks like a good place to read, but I don't use it much. My husband reads the newspaper on Sunday while watching football. Maybe I should start doing my hand sewing there. The light is good there and my eye sight is getting worse. I'm up +2.25 on the glasses you buy in the store. Yikes. I'm too young for that, well not really, but still. (that was off topic) back to the room.

The second picture below is a close up of the ottoman uncovered. The chair and the ottoman are from a 1990's couch set. The couches are long gone, but I loved the shape of the chair, so my sister made me a slip cover. That's one thing I'll never attempt...slipcovers. I love my sister for doing that.

Hope you enjoyed the peek.

Have a great day,

~Karen~