In the Details: Functional Chef's Deck

Look at me all fancy and stuff with the big titles.

A "Chef's Deck" eh?

What I'm talking about is there is this big old hot thing.

To the right.

In the picture below.

And you cook on it.

And, because I'm crazy,

the stuff I would cook with

(ie, utensils and spices and oils)

was never quite organized in a way

where I could ever find what I needed

when I needed it.

So instead of stashing all my utensils in the drawer

below this counter,

I brought them out into the open.

I found that crock at Goodwill for $2.99

Why yes, I'm keeping it.

For the longest, I have had a stash of various decanters 

of oils and vinegars

on my counter

just hanging out.

Imagine my delight when I found this lovely oval tray
That not only fit the crock,
but also fit ALL FOUR of my lovely secret juice decanters.


B.I.N.G.O.


Well, almost.
Currently, it is a golden, shabby, hue of God knows what.
It only cost 1.99
so I have no problem hitting that up with spray paint.


One of these days.

In the meantime,

I'm loving having all of my handy utensils and oils

"on deck" for when I'm ready to cook.

Just wait until I show you what I did with the drawer.

Have you done any reorganizing in the kitchen lately?

Slowly, but surely, I've got big plans for this place.

Not least of which is to use some more blood, sweat and tears

on those counters to get them shiny again.

Sigh.

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Life of the Dinner Party | Decorating w/Plants

 I have these really awesome orchid pots

which are not in any of these pictures.

But you see,

I wanted to do something different with them.

I wanted to plant plants in them.

Not flowers.

So I picked up a Dracena Marginata Cane plant

for 9.99 from Ikea.

It had 3 canes.

I had two orchid pots and a wicker pot.

I split them apart into individual cranes

and promised myself I would not cry if they died in the next 3 days

because I split them wrong.

Thing is.  

I never get this kind of thing wrong.

No research,

just do it because I think it

and touch it with my green thumb

(who knew??)

and voila

on the dining room table

none the less

You'll notice in this shot

that a certain gold mirror

is still present

 and still very gold.

Wonder what else you might catch a glimpse of...

 Don't worry.  Only the eagle eyed would catch it.

Finally finished the upholstering the seats for the dining room chairs

And, of course, had to add a little life to this side of the room too

Small doses.

What kind of plants do you like to decorate with?

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Reading Nook Part 2 - In progress

In my August finds post,
I may have hinted at a new obsession | collection

 

Okay, really, it is two new obsessions:

globes

vintage children's books.

I do work in education after all.
No, I am not an educator.


Let it settle in.


Across from my reading nook 

which I detailed on b3hd part 1

There was an empty space just big enough for one of my fave Craigslist deals ever
I redid the chairs for the dining room and you can see them in this post.
But the table...


I painted the top with chalkboard paint and started on the sides.  You'll have to wait for that.
What I did finally get around to though
is that since we built the built in shelves for the office downstairs,
I have these bookcases.
I stacked them on top of the table.
After I cut off about 18 inches from the top so that they would fit.


Gave me lots of display space for thinks like this

and this

and across the top, I just laid out my newest collection

 

Along the side, in the mini windows letting in all of the light

that is a rare sight in these parts,

I lined up the first collection that stole my heart

(the cameras)

What are you collecting lately?
Any other camera, vintage children's books or globe collectors out there?
Do you have a globe that lights up?
I might or might not have one of those...(smile)


Linking up to Funky Junk's Themed Vintage Link Party


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Evolution - Back Flower Bed

When we first moved in to Pinehurst

Let's just say that the landscaping was hurting.

 There were undergrown shrubs and overgrown grass/weeds

and there was hardly any definition at all to any beds.

 

Shortly after moving in, I dug out the back flower bed.

Got all curvy with it.

I may or may not (yeah I did) have dug up

each and every rock you see

lining the edge of that bed.

 

It did all that digging last summer/fall.

This spring/early summer, I planted those tiny boxwoods.

Look closer.  Under the gigantic windows.

You know, the windows that make them look even tinier.

 

Last fall, we got around to mulching out the beds. 

With red bark mulch that totally stained his jeans.

Not mine, because I was not rolling around in the stuff.

Fast forward to end of this spring and you can kind of see

the remnants of the most amazing flowers ever.

Here, let's get closer...

 I would plant nothing but black tulips and giant king yellow daffodils

if space were not an issue.  As it is, the Peony to the left of those tulips

would come to steal my heart early summer.  

The heather, at the foot of the tulips, to the right

just FINALLY came alive.

I was so ready to sacrifice her for the space.

What's popping up in your garden this time of year?

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Welcome In | Entry Progress

More and more, 
this place is looking lived in.
Not that we really use this front door.
Except when we have guests over.

Front porch plant from Fred Myer for $3.

 My fave Snake Plants (from Home Depot)

The awesome boxes for $3 each at Goodwill w/ the rest of the Awesome August Finds.



You have already seen my entry way rug at this post.
 

And you know how long it took to make this art from b3hd Part 1, how long it took to hang them, and how insanely focused I can be on a project.  You also already saw the clock project.

This entryway is so totally coming along.

What do you think?

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Learn from Me | DIY Sunburst Mirror Fail

I think I might start a new series.
I shall call it "Learn from Me"

Or really, you could probably learn from other bloggers
if they would only come back and tell you
that the nifty shortcut they suggested
would fail miserably in t-minus 31 hours.

As you know,
everyone and their mother
has made a wood shim sunburst mirror.
I even made one that I showed you here

Now I am back.
To honestly show you
Just how well that glue gun option worked.

Yeah.

Honestly, I started out with clean wood shims
and a notion to use construction adhesive

 

The construction adhesive had other ideas.

Namely, it wanted to play like the Sahara (aka, hard and dry).

I figured because I was using floral rings for support,

the glue gun would be fine

(thank you blogger for being a punk about formatting right now...)

I even finished off my mirror with a little 

embroidery hoop frame

and some fanciful staining techniques

with some leftover stain I had

And it was gorgeous.

Then it fell apart the very next night.

First,

it was just one shim or two that came

well, literally they lost it and came unglued.

Then, I took it down.

I put it into the room we shall not talk about.

I picked up some wood superglue

And I picked up said mirror

And I'll be damned if another bazillion shims didn't fall off.

Oh, and the mirror - the heavy part - stayed put.

Really.

And I'm here to tell you that super glue from the dollar store

is a no go.  Save your pennies.

After cussing (maybe more than once)

I went to Wal Mart and picked up some of this stuff

People swear by it.

I swore AT it.

It did NOT fix my mirror.

Even after I carefully scraped

ALL of that gunky hot glue residue off.

Finally I sucked it up and bought some more construction adhesive

Which was right after I realized I have no idea where my caulking gun is.

Big Lots to the rescue.

Maybe, in about 8 months, I'll have an update.

And by then, it will be so passe, but still so totally loved.

As it is, the space I was GOING to hang this in (the stairwell)

was finally adorned with something else.

A yardsale find of course.

A great yardsale find.

Till then.

DIY FAIL.

Miserable fail.

Linking this one up at Happy Hour Projects 

and to Fridays on Remodelaholic 

Show & Share Day at Just a Girl

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Upstairs Guest Bathroom - Progress

So before,
I was so proud of getting up
that waffle weave shower curtain.

Don't you just love the tiny mirror all antagonizing the wall of mirror?
Yeah.  Needed to fix that.

So I picked this up at Goodwill (of course)
for $3

That bad boy is massive.
I almost fell out getting it up.
But I did it all by myself.

And I only cussed once.

Now there is something pretty to reflect upon
rather than the endless time warp
of a mirror reflecting back a mirror
reflecting back another mirror...

I'm surprised I'm still here.

I call this progress.

Linking up to Happy Hour Projects

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Subliminal Inspiration | Typography Art

Finally, a new subdivision (and builder)
is getting to work on the Ridge.

We went to check out the models.
Lots of great ideas.

I was inspired by this little, subliminal message
for one of the little kid rooms

At home,
we don't have kids

But we do have a laundry room.
With lots of laundry in it.

Probably paint them bright red.
Just so that the message really gets across.

Linking up to  
Happy Hour Friday @ Happy Hour Projects.
Fridays on Remodelaholic

Show & Share @ Just a Girl

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Bird Sketch Wall - Goodwill Find

So in this post about the progress in my MIL suite,

I teased you about what was going on on the other side.

You know, where the grass is greener.

Well on that green grass, there are some critters that frolic about.

I picked up a really awesome bird coloring book

from Goodwill

for 99 cents.

Yes.  One dollar.

Which, of course, meant I had to shop for a few other goodies

because really, who charges a quarter to their credit/debit card?

One of my fave DIY supplies are vintage coloring books

from the kiddie section at the thrift store.

There are no windows in this room

(hence, no natural light).

With the lights on at night, I love how the yellowish tinge

just makes them feel all that more vintage.

As you can kind of see in the first photo,

I just "tacked" them up with tiny finishing nails.

No frame, no fancy, definitely no measuring to get them straight.

Just eyeballed it after laying it out on the floor.

I like to do things the lazy way.

Happy thrifting.  Oh for spring to roll around again.

Linking up to Funky Junk's Themed Vintage Link Party

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MIL Guest Room In Progress

In our MIL Suite

There are actually two bedrooms.

Which is perfect.

Because my mother is pretty much guardian

to my oldest nephew.

So she can have a room.

And he can have a room.

I'd of course let that teenager

do his room as he wanted.

But for now,

this is the MIL Suite Guest bedroom

in progress.

I LOVE striped bedding.

There's a blank wall by the bed

I think I'll hit the

NY Public Library Digital Gallery

to do something like this

NYPL is free for personal use.

And it is extensive and awesome.

As it is

I will have to take photos

of the bird wall.

LOVELY

vintage

bird sketches

for coloring in

out of an

"I can Color" kit

that cost me all of .99

as the Thirfty Find of the week

for 26 prints.

Vintage coloring books/pages

are some of my fave DIY supplies.

Now you want to see the photo eh?

When we're back in the saddle

I'll get them up.

Linking up to Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House of Roses.

Stop in and check out some new blogs you don't usually frequent.

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In the Meantime | Mother In Law Suite

I should just call it
the "my mama" suite
because it is far more likely
my mama will move in
than his mama

Which suits us both well (for my mama to move in)
any day now mom

Anyhow, I decorate this space with mom in mind.

Many of you remember this oar

that almost ended up repurposed in the bathroom
before it actually ended up hanging out
(literally)
on this nautical flag wall

for the moment,
at least.

If I ever get up the gumption time
to finally paint some furniture

And if I ever decide to find a spot already
for the oar to permanently live

then I might go from this in the MIL Suite's main bedroom

to something more like this

Still not sure what I want do to about the beast in the OTHER corner

I'm too chicken to e-do it,

let alone take a real paintbrush to her.

You'll need to bounce to that link and tell me what YOU think I should do.

I'm counting on you to bail me out already.

The Wish List: MIL Suite Barn Door

If wishes were candy
and I had a ton
and it were close to Halloween
And I was given $1 for every
trick or treat seeker
who came to my door

I could afford to go from this

to this

Fire safety be damned
Who needs a stinking smoke detector
outside their bedroom door?

Oh wait.
Mom might.

In any event.

The Wish List
Sliding barn door for MIL Suite Bedroom
Gorgeous sailboat prints (always - the more the merrier)
Some tall stash baskets (for boots/shoes and puppy toys)
A Comfy chair for the MIL Suite bedroom

In time.

Stylin' Master Bath Shelf

So a while ago,
(I know, I know)
I actually
FINISHED
a project.

It was the 1 hour bathroom shelf.
Remember?

On the next to bottom shelf?

You remember my mini succulent garden post right?

Well...

Let's just say that I almost fired my housekeeper

(yes, I have a housekeeper, yes she is afraid of my dog).

Not merely because I came home one Monday afternoon

to find that mini garden in smithereens in the toilet room

stomped on as if someone had to dance to save

their little tootsies (or paws, I suppose)

from the gunshots dancing off the ground around them.

(she only comes 2 times a month

for about an 1 hr...

really, it's about toilets. 

You know my thing about toilets)

No, this was about how I jumped to embarrassing conclusions

about how since she doesn't like Ashers

she MUST have locked her in that tiny toilet room

while she did her job

and FORGOT MY DOG

in said tiny room

for about 5 hours

Never mind that the one with no thumbs

is dumb clever enough

to get her skinny self behind the door

accidently shut it

and then squeal and scream for hours on end

when she can't get out

And of course tear up a year's worth of

costco toilet paper

and my mini succulent garden

while she's in there.

let's not talk about the toilet paper holder

that she ripped off the wall

in her wild fit of rage

over the indignity of being locked in the

toilet room all day long.

She's a fighter.  I would have passed out.

Anyhow.

I finally got around to re-styling that shelf.

With a little inspiration from the Pac Gal Auction House

where I saw this little cutie

I decided to actually stop hoarding

my sea shell collection

and actully display some of it

I hate the photography lighting in this dark corner of my house

There's a great little window that lets in just enough light

to give a prisoner hope she'll get out some day

And then an overhead light that is...well...sketch.

All said,

All I need on that shelf is a little plant

ie, the one from Crate and Barrel I pasted in there.

Alas, American Express isn't giving me any points to go shopping with

anytime soon.

They are probably still bitter that I went all the way around the world

on their points when I was a cardholder.

Then we jumped on to the next great card deal.

Given that we're one of those rare oddities (or used to be at least)

that annoyed companies by paying the bill in full each month

and jumping to the next great free flight offers when our old card

wouldn't give us anymore goodies.

All said, loving the Thank You Points I get now

(and so are Lowes and Home Depot where we redeem about 95% of said points).

But next time, Pottery Barn card.  I've seen some lovely sea goodies there

that will be on end of season close out soon enough.

Clearly, I have some shelf space to cover.

What do you think?

More wordy posts?

Or back to the short, sweet and simple?

I had a request to write more.

Like I did at b3Home Designs (Part 1)

Why the heck not?

Unless you beg me not to of course.