I have wanted a wreath on my door for almost seven years now. Do I have one on my door? No, because I'm too cheap. I cannot tell you how many times I have gone to Hobby Lobby to buy the supplies to make my wreath, only to come home with a half eaten bag of chocolate covered peanut m&m's. I will someday be the proud owner of a door wreath, I know I can do it, but until then...
I did recently make a wreath for a very good friend of mine (who also has a beautiful front door) and have decided that if anyone would like to buy them then please contact me. They are available in (large)door size and (small)window size.

Isn't home such a sweet smelling place? I recently arrived home after 19 hours or so on the road, only to discover my home doesn't smell so great. It's a mixture of sulphur, decay and something undefinable. I had the gas company come out and we were all good there, except they had to install themselves on my list of "Really, don't call these people unless you are good and sure you have a gas leak". I say that because after telling me that I did not have a gas leak, he then told me that he had turned OFF my furnace AND my water heater (no I had not had the privilege of showering yet) for some various and not so very good reasons. He also said that I needed to have an HVAC guy come out and take a look at the problem. Welcome home to me! So HVAC is here and says it smells of sewer. Yum, I knew it was going to be good. So all of this to say, enjoy your sweet smelling home, I've got the smelling part cornered, just got to find the sweet.

Well I'm super excited about another idea that I plan on stealing from The Lettered Cottage

They recently did a very awesome makeover on a room in Virginia Beach for little $$. I want to take their idea of the bookcases to put in our family room for games, pictures, books and all that stuff that I don't want in my garage or sitting in the middle of the floor. As they mention on the segment, they just put a little crown moulding around the top to give it a custom look, and all the rest of it is purchased from Ikea. So check out what they did and stay tuned to see the same cool storage in our family room!

The Lettered Cottage

I had the perfect coffee table in mind, only problem was I couldn't find it anywhere! Well, at least not for the price I wanted. I finally scored big time as I browsed Craigslist yet again for the coffee table of my dreams. I love, love, love this table! It was all I had hoped for and more. Perfect for two busy boys and a husband that likes to set his feet on the table. It's already scarred and worn in all the right places and the green color it's painted on the bottom is just perfect. It even had a secret drawer! We only had to go 15 minutes to get it and with the price of $125 (birthday money) it was the one!!

So this one is actually for two favorite things, my great coffee table and for the best place to shop, Craigslist!

I have been working on these paintings for my sister for a few weeks now and everything was going fine until I got to the eggs in the nest. I have not been able to get them the right color no matter how many times I try. 3rd times a charm has not worked here. Anyway, lets hope they work in her room.

I have a lot of favorite things in my house. One of them is a little flower pot that I whitewashed then painted a 5 on the front and stuffed some moss in. It makes me smile everytime I see it. I love it when something so simple can add so much. Like a fresh bouquet of flowers, a well grouped collage of picture frames, a few old books stacked together or a fresh roll of toilet paper. It doesn't take much...

My biggest and slowest project right now is our boys bathroom. I have been taking my sweet time on it, mainly because it is a little hard to paint and cut wood with two little boys around. Excuses aside now, I'm being really slow, but I'll show you where it started and where it is now...


Before (previous owners):









Where we are now:









I think there is some extra little hands in there, but you get the idea. So far all I have done is take down the wallpaper, start painting a custom color blue from Home Depot and repaint the mirror. Next up I will be finishing the painting, put up board and batten and hang some curtains. Right now it looks worse than when I started, but we're headed in the right direction. We'll see what happens from here.

One of my favorite things in the whole world of decorating is before and afters. So I have a few that are semi done (is anything ever truly done?) Check out my before and afters from time to time since I am always working on something.


Before Bedroom (previous owners):




The somewhat After Bedroom:



I still plan to repaint a soft white, lay some wood flooring and change out some of the pillows.
I think these two very different pillows are perfect. Of course you can also find some amazing, awesome pillows at http://www.etsy.com/ along with thousands of other amazing, awesome things.





I cannot remember where this one came from, but I hope to find one like it or make one





Country Living

What do you think about family traditions? I have to say that I have mixed feelings. If they are my family traditions then they are great, but if they are someone elses then they are dumb. Wait, I think the problem is that I'm just jealous that I didn't think of the idea first. So all in in all I think they are pretty cool.

My oldest sister started a pretty cool one with the birth of our first nephew years ago and has continued it for each of the 12 grandchildren that have followed (more to come too!). She had a pewter cup engraved with their name and birth date. They are timeless heirlooms that make you feel a little richer each time you look at them. Granted I would feel even more rich if they were silver, but she's not made out of money. So, she now has two little girls of her own and I took it upon myself to continue the tradition for her girls. I found some beautiful cups at Shirley Pewter Shop in Williamsburg , VA. I didn't actually go there, but purchased them on the website http://www.shirleypewtershop.com/.

So tell me what your traditions are, and don't mind if I steal your idea.

I have to be honest, I've always thought blogging was dumb...

Then I learned what blogging actually was.

I am totally and completely in love with it!

I try not to over think this because if I do, then I'm afraid I will go back to my previous conclusion (never).

So here I am. Right now I don't have too much to say, but stick around, check in from time to time and I'll come up with something. I always do.

Until then....

Jillian

Hello there! It's been a long time, I know but I've been working my fingers to the bones in preparation for what will be my last show for a while. Pics coming soon...I think we've got more inventory than ever before and I am so excited to see it all go! No, really...I am. I mean, kind of...well, maybe I'm not but my hubby sure is!

So, here are the details:

Hickam AFB Fall Craft Fair
November 14, 2009
9a-2p
Open to the general public through the Nimitz Gate

So, if you're in Hawaii and can make it out, we would love to see you there! Stay tuned...and have an awesomely blessed day!

Any chair...

Nope, we're not playing musical chairs. These are projects. Sixteen of thses pretty little "projects" are shown here with an additional seven chairs hiding away in the garage plus two benches that have also been hanging out in there for a while.

The grand total? Hmmm....25? Really? Are there that many rear ends on this island? Well, of course, but do I have to seat them all? No. But, for some reason, I just couldn't say no...

To this one...

It was the most expensive out of all of my chairs and benches but it spoke to me and had great bones and although I didn't care too much for the natural finish of the wood or the rushed seat as is, I could totally see it all dolled up in my favorite olive or chartreuse green with a hint of distressing and a dash of stain and glaze for an aged look. For this one, that's still the plan...

But for this one...I just don't know...

I am normally one for paint. Hands down. Don't even have to think about it normally BUT this one is gorgeous to me without so I am thinking something traditional. Oh, wait...did I say that I was having a hard time deciding whether to paint it or not...maybe not so much. So back to traditional...I was thinking just classic black on these (there are two of them) with a bit of distressing and a funky cushion for just a hint of punch. What do you think? Should I go with that or just keep it plain and perhaps punch it up with a funky cushion?

Ooooh, decisions, decisions...

And then there's her...she's one of four with a matching dining table. Lovely.

Provencially elegant.

For some reason, I couldn't manage to finish her and her family before moving on to the next purchase or project. So, alone they sit...waiting to be revived into a useful state. Waiting to be loved. I am sure they will be yummy once they are actually done. Hopefully it won't take me another six months to show you the finished project on these.

And saying no to this one would have been insane...

...it rang in at only $10.00. Yes. $10.00. The rushed seat is a bit worn but provides just the right amount of characther. Why isn't it painted after 3 months? I can't decide whether I am keeping it all for me or selling and since I can't decide, I don't know how I would like to paint it. Again, the old stand-by sounds good. Black. A hint of distressing. A touch of Me & My House and BAM! we're done, right? Wrong. I kind of like the thought of a candy apple or antique red on this one. Hey! I think I've got it!

This one will take skill and practice. I am totally intimidated by it...but I know it's a great chair which is why I had to have it when I found out home much of a steal it was going to be. The lady I purchased from "had" to get rid of it and almost gave it away.

There's just ONE eensy, weensy, little problem...I DO NOT reupholster! DO NOT. Have NO CLUE where to begin. Have no idea...did I say I don't know how to reupholster? Ugh!

Sooooo, that leads me to...

...this one...

another yummy, absolutely ridiculous find and an answer to prayer. The lady who sold me this one is from Sweden and has the most scrumptious and adorable accent ever. I just wanted to listen to her talk the entire time we were together. While we conversed, I found out SHE upholstered this one...very interesting. "Oh wait!", I thought to myself. "You reupholstered this? Are you willing to teach me or want to make a little extra money?" I said. "Oh, it's SO easy...I could teach you," she says. And well, folks, the rest is history. She will be spending some time in the Me & My House Shop showing Mrs. Me & My House how to "get down" with some reupholstery skills and I don't have to pay a fortune for the tutelage. I love it.

So, that's it for now...started on a few of these this evening and even sat some stuff out on the curb with a CL "curb alert"...felt really good to get rid of some stuff so I can start anew.

Been doing a lot of gardening too. Cleaning out weeds, pulling them from the roots, preparing the soil for new plants. Quite relaxing. Quite revealing.

I. Love. It.

Best,

Desire is a funny thing.

Somewhere in the span of time before the beginning of time a seed is planted. It is watered, life begins to form and desire grows.

We choose. We choose to feed either the right or the wrong desires placed in our hearts. Thankfully, I have chosen the right one at this time in my life...my desire to create.

I choose to believe that this God-given desire is more than just the ability to create wonderful pieces for homes but also the desire to create life.

Life, peace, and joy in my home. Life in my relationships with those close to me and, well, those not so close also.

Life. More. Abundant. I love it...

p.s. my desire at the present time is to get back on the ball with this blog thing but I had to take some time off to reflect, spend some time with my Creator and hang out with my family. I have some great things in store in a few more weeks and appreciate all of your support, kind words and encouragement. You rock! Hard.

Okay, so how many of you are new to this revamp wave and want to know more about how to get some smart thrift shopping done? How many of you could never even see your home decorated in decor from Goodwill or any other thrift store?

(Did that sounds like an infomercial or what?)

Well, after reading this guest post from my new friend Sarah of Thrifty Decor Chick, you'll be just a little more prepared to tackle a room in your home with all the swifty tactics of all the Salvation Army, Goodwill, The Church Next Door, and Shelter Down the Block thrift shoppin' pros!

Be sure to head on over to Sarah's blog and show her some love and hang around for a while. You WILL NOT be disappointed! Her blog is chock full of goodies for people like us. Who are people like us? Well, you know...

********

I know there are many of you out there who are completely grossed out at the thought of shopping in a Goodwill. Once upon a time, I was one of you. But a few years ago, I realized the potential that is inside these stores. Since then, I can't stay away! (Serious. I go way too often.)

There are a few things you need for a successful Goodwill trip. The first is disinfecting wipes.

No matter what I bring home from Goodwill, it gets a wipe down, washed or run through the dishwasher before we use it. I couldn't live without these wipes!

The second is my trusty Goo Gone.

This stuff is just plain awesome -- Goodwill finds or not. It is essential for getting price tags and tape off. Just spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes, then scrape.

Works every time.

The third item you'll need -- and it's the biggest -- is imagination. You have to think of the potential of items -- not the current state.

That way you can imagine how this

can turn into this...

And this...

into this...

Some of my most treasured pieces in our home are Goodwill finds -- for a fraction of the cost. And when you put your own time and effort into it, you'll love it even more.

& Sarah(The Thrifty Decor Chick) ;)

p.s. I will finally be back on things next week with lots to share so please stay tuned and thanks for all the sweet comments in the meantime. It means a lot to me...

Has it really been 12 days since my last post? Wow! I haven't dropped off the face of the Earth...things are just super crazy around here but headed back to a normal state. Will be returning in just a few days with lots of great new things to share...pray you all are having a blessed week! Oh yeah, and today is my anniversary...8 years! Yeah!

Excited about life,

I love old things. I love the smell. The look. The feel of all things vintage. Old. Antique. Whatever.

I love how old things can bring back memories.

Memories from childhood. When things seemed so much more simple than now.

I have one old thing that I have that I will cherish for life. Funny thing. I never use it. Why do we do that?

Every now and then I pull it out and smell it. Sometimes, in my mind, it smells like her. My "Memaw" that is...the strongest, sweetest, best hug givin' woman I have known.

This was hers. To me...an heirloom. Thanks for the memories Mema. (Oh, and you too, Marie!)

To see more memory giving heirlooms hop over to Emma Calls Me Mama where she's having an awesome Heirloom Party.

Best of Memories,

So I keep...dreamin'. I just can't seem to stop.

My days are filled with endless, wandering thoughts of....

these...

Image courtesy of Tara Bradford

and these....

Image Flickr

oh yeah, and one of these...

and last, but not least...one of these...

Image courtesy debbipete

Or maybe two or three of them...

I covet heart dress forms.

So, can anyone help me? Please?

WARNING!!!!! This is one LOOOONGG post so be sure you have a lot of time on your hands, that you are seated and have beverage in hand! LOL!

So, after 11 hours of travel from Oahu to Alabama, we finally made it safely. Oh, I was absolutely elated to finally be ON THE GROUND and to back in the South. There were so many great and fun things awaiting our arrival...family, friends, great food and TONS of junkin' joys!

I had camera in tow, or, at least I thought I did for all of my junk explorations! Little did I know, it was hiding quietly in a bag that I left behind soooooo, I will have to do my best to share pics that others took for me or some shared via the lovely internet. It's okay...I have already dealt with this unfornutate mishap...kind of.

So, my first stop was in my hometown-Guntersville and from there we journeyed to Boaz, AL to a few antique shops and the infamous Unclaimed Baggage. Wait, you haven't heard of Unclaimed Baggage? It's only the BEST place to shop for ANYTHING! This store takes in all the unclaimed goods for airlines and it just happens to be in ALABAMA!! Is that crazy or what? Soooo, lose something on a plane? Check thi place with two locations to serve you: Scottsboro, AL (the larger, better location) and Boaz, AL.

Back in Guntersville, the ladies from Antique Treasures in Guntersville offer a shop chocked full of primitive, antique and vintage finds. From antique linens and furniture to military emphimera, we were sure to find something to tickle our fancy...(and of course, because of my camera mishap...no pictures!)

After leaving AL (need I say, quite reluctantly), my baby boy and I journeyed to visit more family and friends in the Peach State-Georgia. Was I ever surprised to find some of the greatest, biggest and best antique/flea market shopping EVER! OMG! I stumbled upon Scott Antique Market located in Jonesboro, GA. This market boasts hundreds of vendors who travel from all over the country to take part in the biggest antique market in the country (at least that's what the show owners claim). I didn't really care about statistics, quite honestly. All I know is that when I walked in I just about fainted right there in the middle of the floor at the door. Actually, I didn't even make it inside before I felt overwhelmingly quiverish.

Vendors are posted up outside to give you just a taste of what you are in for on the interior.

There was a great vendor just outside the main entrance selling architectural salvage for over 50% less than most. Corbels, gym lockers, pediments...he had it all. Just to let you know how CHEAP...the gym lockers I bought were only $8 a pop...corbels (measuring 30" x 6" a.k.a. "pretty darn big") $25-$45!!! Can you believe this? I didn't get a lot from this market cause my suitcases weren't that big and fees are killer on the airlines these days BUT he is on my list for my Mainland home. Hey, a girl can dream and in this case, my dream WILL come true! And sorry, no pics of this vendor since my camera was "hiding" from me but hopefully the one below will give you a taste of what it was like outside.

Pic courtesy of Scott L.

And just beyond the perimeter of the Exposition Center is this lovely, lovely, lovely, space.

I am. In love. Officially.

This is the entrance to Love Train Antiques. It looks as though it used ot be some type of gas station of sorts. They sell wholesale to the public. Lots of industrial pieces. Great finds...although I could find no one around when I went inside. So, I just looked around a bit and dreamed about my future home on the Mainland and left. Hoooooo, hummmm.

All LoveTrain pics courtesy of Love Train Antiques

Love Train's booth at market...isn't it lovely?

Old milk bottle carriers at Love Train...these would make adorable planters or holders for whatever I could dream up.

...and more yumminess...

So, back to the inside...there was so much, I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful it was but I am going to do my best. Okay, so remember the fainting? Thankfully, it didn't happen while we were there but there was so many booths that made me feel this way.

Like this one...

The Duchess is in the house...

Duchess D, that is. You can bookmark this and this for more hotness from this lady. She has a great eye for revamping and style comparable to none. I met Debbie (aka Duchess D) at the Scott Market also and I believe I have made a wonderful new friend!

Excuse me? Does anyone see what I am seeing? Not only are these chairs absolutely scrumptious but just a peek at that yummy red table is making my mouth water. OMG!

And this one...a reupholstery job done in vintage designer fabric. Like butter...

So, after my farewell to the ATL, baby boy and I hit the air for our flight back to the Islands of Aloha. Aaaaaahhh, parting was such sweet sorrow. Seriously.

Okay, so that's all for now. This post isn't as long as I thought it would be. Darn! I am SURE there will be more to this later...my hands are just tired from typing and well, I am so excited to share this with you all I MUST hit the button!

Until next time,