Friday, January 31, 2014

The Winter Garden

Bleak?
 via
No the winter garden is not bleak...it's beautiful.
 via
 via
That's a lovely image...not practical at all...but oh......so pretty!

So today is the 5th Anniversary of the day I started this little blog.

I almost let it go by unnoticed.

I was busy working last night on a new design for the whole blog....decided after four years
it was badly in need of a makeover.

Have to say...I think I did pretty well...that a design I created...worked well for me for four years.

But I am feeling like I want something fresh and new.

So I was working on a new design last night and thinking...I'll have this up 
for my Blogiversary when I realized my Blogiversary is tomorrow...being TODAY!

Oh...well...

I really thought it was still a week away!

Anyway....new design to come.

Actually, last thing I should be working on... but us creative types work on the thing
we feel like doing rather than the thing we should be doing.


Thursday, January 30, 2014

American Horror Story - Coven

This is the End
but the beginning of my new catch phrase.

American Horror Story - Coven ended last night.
This wasn't my favorite season of American Horror Story.
I really thought it would be since it was set in
New Orleans and was about witches. 

My favorite is still season 1 - Murder House
with Asylum a far second.
There were times this season...I almost didn't care
if I watched another episode. 

Characters died and then came back to life repeatedly over and over
during the season.

There were holes in the plot...times you had to just pretend that it made sense.

or didn't...why couldn't Cordelia see all?

Well she just couldn't...I guess she was just too over shadowed by her Mom.

I loved all the actors though...and I'm glad I watched it all.
Kathy Bates was fantastic, so was Angela Bassett.

Of course Jessica Lange is the queen. 
I can't wait to see what she'll do next season...I admit.

Appearances by Stevie Nicks felt forced. 
like let's help Stevie sell some tunes.

But watching this season was all worth it when

Fiona finds herself in hell and says...

"What is this - Knotty Pine?!!!!!"
(said with Fiona's southern drawl -  knaughty p-i-i-i-i-i-ne?!!!)

Ah...the ultimate sign you are in hell.

Oh.....that was good. 

Just shows this season was all about decorating.
The thing I enjoyed the most about this whole season was the 
house. 
On this final episode we even saw more of the beautiful interiors of the home for witches.

So funny that the line came out of Fiona's mouth just as she realized she must be in hell 
if she was living in a house with walls covered in knotty pine.

This will probably be my new catch phrase for awhile.
I haven't found a phrase I wanted to repeat over and over as much since....

"Where the hell is my chiffon!"

from season two of Project Runway



"What is this - Knotty Pine?!!!!!"

said with surprise, realization and disgust

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

A Winter's Mantel

 I was so slow in getting a new display up on the mantel after Christmas.
I loved my Christmas Mantel and wasn't anxious to take it down.
And since it was all trees and snow...I thought it ok to leave it a little while.
See it here.
 But last week I decided enough was enough...and down it had to come.
I really had no idea what I was going to put up.
But then I remembered I'd recently been given a few more silver things...and I decided silver 
was a good theme.
I kept out a couple of glitter snowflakes.
The silver coffee pot was a Christmas gift from my sister. 
She knows to pick up anything silver for me at the flea market.
When she called to tell me she'd found me something. 
I told her..."You shouldn't be buying me anything. I don't need a thing."
"But...but..", she said, "It's a silver coffee pot!"
"Oh", I said "In that case, yes I need it and I'm so glad you bought it for me!"
 After Christmas my friend Petra was doing a big clean out of her kitchen.
You know getting into those bottom cupboards that stuff just gets shoved into?
She had bags and bags of things going to Goodwill.
 But she had a few things set aside that she knew I'd want.
That included two silver trays.
Yes, please!
The frame I painted awhile ago but I don't like the color. I'll be repainting it.
But the color works well in  this arrangement. 
 At Christmas I had icicles hanging from my scones and loved how they made the sconces appear larger.
Don't know why I didn't do this before...but I dug some old crystal garland and prisms out
and dressed my 1930 sconces up. I added the aqua colored beads for now too.
They will probably change when I do the Valentine Mantel. 
I'm loving the dangling sparkle on my old sconces.
 Small faux succulents add a little color.
This silver has just the right amount of tarnish....but then it will get to be too much 
and I'll have to polish. 
I can't believe Petra gave me her silver trays but she does have lots of other nice things. 
She really didn't need them...but I do!
 Took a shot of the chandelier in the room...
I am having so much fun photographing in here ever since I painted the room. 
Everything looks better with the new wall color.
See that burnt out bulb? I hid it in the above photo...
That bulb had been burned out for awhile but not the others.

So before Christmas, I climb on a step stool to change it out.
When I put the new bulb in....there was a popping sound and all the lights went out in the living room.
Ugh....
I checked my breakers and one had blown.
I have two breaker boxes....a big one outside and a little one in the kitchen.
The big one was fine but the little one had a burnt fuse.
Thankfully that fixed the lights in the living room but now my dimmer switch does not work 
for the chandelier and I assume that socket still doesn't work.
I put the old bulb back in.
I'm scared to try a new bulb again.

This chandelier is very heavy. It's the only light in the house that I had professional installed.
It was just too much for me to do alone.

Now I guess it will have to come down....be checked over and rehung.
Which sounds like a big job.
So it's probably going to stay like this for awhile.

So expect to always see one dark bulb in my chandi for awhile.

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Monday, January 27, 2014

Mod Mix Monday #137

The bitter cold is headed our way as I type this. So a big fire would be very appealing right now.
I know a lot of you have been experiencing major cold but here in Oklahoma the weather
has been pretty nice most of January.
Anyway...That room above appeals to me for a winter day with it's big roaring fire.
Love the modular light fixtures in a group of three above and the pink sofa of course.
It's got the very on trend antlers although they are odd. Aren't they?
Vase of evergreens on the coffee table is very nice.

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and we'll start off my favorites from last week with a little Valentine Decor....
 Cathy of Vintage, Paint and more.... created a very cute Valentine mantel display.
She made those letters from foam core and covered them in wrapping paper then distressed the edges.
Very pretty.
 Keya of Vintage Prairie Style found the perfect little rattan chairs for her living room which she promptly painted white and recovered the cushions. But hey...I'm all about that table too. 
Love the shape of it.
 Revi of Revisionary Life set up a Winter Mantel of silver and whites. 
What a pretty collection of frames she has!
 Mary at Orphans with Make Up painted these two matching dressers.
They turned out exceptionally nice but I REALLY love the way she styled this photo.
The wood wall and metal table and big purple hydrangeas! 
Love all of this!
 Tricia of Little Cottage on the Pond got a chance to try out some new paint.
This color is called "Cupcake".
Isn't it scrumptious? I love how this piece turned out!
Kim of Living Vintage got me by the name of this post...The Reveal of her Dogtrot. What?
A room for dogs...but that is not what it meant. It's a long narrow room.
Doesn't it look like a chic library?
Love the long narrow table in the space. 

Those were all good....bet there will be lots of good things this week too!

Now to this week's Mod Mix Monday...

Link up below!

Remember anything old made over to be new...anything new changed up to look old.
New and old together...
Please include the Mod Mix Monday logo and back link to me.
Use a permalink to your individual post not to your entire blog.

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Sunday, January 26, 2014

Open House Sunday

Atlanta Cottage
 built 1935
We're back in the Morningside neighborhood of Atlanta, this time an actual older home not one 
that just looks old. This is a pretty little tudor revival that's been completely updated.
 I like the cool colors used in this home. The chevron pattern of the tile is a nice touch in the entry.
 I love the furnishings. Linen slipcovers and painted woods mixed with a little industrial.
 It's all very pretty but I think looks too new. This could be a brand new house on the inside.
 The fireplace is very pretty but I doubt it's what was originally there.
Might be but the stone or marble definitely isn't.
Love the turquoise ginger jar on the hearth though.
 The colors are very calming in this house. I LOVE that painting on the wall of the boat.
 Dining room keeps the same feeling as the living room. I like the dresser used as a buffet.
I questioned the dark hutch but when you see the kitchen you'll understand why it's there.
 From this angle the hutch looks very dramatic and makes sense in the room.
 Here is where the dark wood comes in. The whole kitchen is dark wood.
 I find this very disappointing. A white kitchen would have been so much better.
And I find myself wondering what the original kitchen looked like.
Although, I think this room looks to have been added on to the home. 
 Oh...it's a nice kitchen....I just think they could have done so much better.
 If I bought this house...I'd be painting these cabinets immediately.
Now, we are back to the soothing colors of this home.
Love this bed! I could totally climb into that and rest easy with four weenie dogs. 
Of course
the whole look of the room would be ruined with the addition of a dog ramp to get them all up into the thing. 
 How about this glass and metal cabinet in the bathroom?
I love it! It needs shelves in it though to make it really work for the room.
Dark cabinetry again...which I don't like and it's so ordinary. 
But oh...I'd like to have that shower.
I don't think anyone is actually living in this house and this photo confirms it.
No widow treatments in this bath and you look out to other houses and perhaps a road.
That rug ruins the whole look of this room. Other than it...I like all else.
 Another pretty bedroom with a nice big fluffy bed.
 This room perplexes me a little. what is that stone thing?
I think perhaps It might have been on the outside of the house at one time?
I don't know...I thought it was a fireplace at first...but no....perhaps its a planter?
 Yes, I think it's a planter.
And this looks to be an upstairs room...making it even more confusing.
 Love the possibilities of this attic room. Love that white chippy spindle bed and that big lamp!
 hmmm...dull bath
 I do like this laundry room! But on closer inspection...it's that dresser in here that makes me love it.
Still...I so would love a laundry room...a laundry room is so much better than a laundry closet which is what I have.
big big deck on back

All in all...a very nice home.
I'd live in it.

see full listing here