A stool for my book bag!

I went out junking on Friday and found this cute stool.  I needed something to set my school book bag on when I come in the door in the afternoon.  Loved the old chippy paint color!

I got the new LLBean Bag for Christmas.

Nights in Rodanthe!

I am on vacation in the Outer Banks of NC.  I should be excited about the wild horses that I saw, or the the four lighthouses, or the the Kitty Hawk Memorial Park, or the the gigantic dunes at Jockey's Ridge.  But no!  What did I get ecstatically giddy over?  This house!!!!

This is the house that was in the movie NIGHTS IN RODANTHE (Richard Gere!) The movie is based on Nicholas Sparks book. I did not realize the movie had actually been filmed in Rodanthe, NC!  As we rode down highway 12, I said," I know that house from somewhere!"  A little research on our iphones was all it took for me to get excited!  I was not going to let my family do anything else until I got a picture!

 The house was actually moved back up he beach after the movie.  If you remember, the house was actually falling into the ocean as it was filmed.  It was moved 7//10 of a mile to higher ground.

 My son thought I was crazy!

 Maddie however was just as excited as I was!

Bodie Island lighthouse was beautiful!

Table base gets finished!

 My boys got the table base out to the garage today and started the finishing work that we did not get done in time for Thanksgiving.  Remember... the table got brought in ten minutes before Thanksgiving lunch last month.  We had to wait for Jesse to get home to move that really heavy table top again!

 The boys added the the two rails in the center.  Maddie and I painted the words and lettering on each end.  We wanted an industrial crate/barrel look.  The numbers are significant to our family.

 Here is everyone in on the sanding and waxing.

 And back on the porch with table top in place.

My next mission is to tone down those lag bolts so that they look old!  John's next project is to figure out how to do some new lighting.  I want three lights hanging over the table.  Right now there is two ceiling fans  and neither one are over the table.

Drop cloth mini stockings...

I used drop cloth left overs from another project to make these mini stockings for the breakfast table in the kitchen.  I used rubber stamps to do the numbers (1-4) and the little metal accent is a paper brad from scrapbooking supplies.

Sun porch dressed for Christmas!

I snapped this picture on Sunday with my iphone.  The natural light was great!

Posting to Table Top Tuesday and Wow us Wednesday

My turn to do the PB pillow!

I think there are quite a few of you that liked that PB pillow!  I have seen several versions in blog land this week!  All of them cute!

Chicken feed trough!

 I went out on a treasure hunt today!  I was determined to find the perfect center piece for the 12 foot farm house table that I could incorporate into Christmas decorations.  I came home with this 5 foot, rusty metal,  farm chicken feed trough!

 I have filled it with poinsettias, english ivy, and Christmas tree scraps.  I intertwined a grapevine type garland.  I will probably add some moss to cover up the tops of the pots, or maybe a little strategically place burlap will do.  I love the natural feel, especially since this table is on my sunporch.

Mamma sent me three more Spode plates this week so that I could could set the table for twelve.  I only had 10 plates that I got as wedding presents 21 years ago.  Thanks Mamma!

The Sleeping Poet in Charlotte, NC is a great place for treasure hunting!

Posting to Coastal Charm!

Table runner!

 I just finished sewing my 14 ft runner for the new farm house table!  I was able to purchase prehemmed linen toweling at Sew Much Fun for $5.00 a yard. I bought 6 yards and used one yard to make the ruffle for each end.  I love the way it turned out!

 The green stripe is just a little brighter than the green on my Christmas Spode dishes.

 I made these napkin rings with curtain rod rings and green mercury glass mini ornaments.  I found the ornaments at TJ Max.  They were in a bundle of twenty on a velvet ribbon for $6.99.  I thought that was a steal since I needed to make 12 napkin rings!

I added a little Christmas to the top of the fridge.  Mamma brought me the old milk bottle when she was here for Thanksgiving.  I dropped in the peppermint sticks and sat the Spode baby cup on the vintage scale.

Can't wait till tommorrow...I am going junking at The Sleeping Poet in Charlotte!  I hope to find just the right thing to use as a center piece on the new table.

Linking to: At The Pickett Fence

Better than Pottery Barn!

I have a husband that loves me!  He started this table on Tuesday night and moved it into the sunroom at 12:20 pm on Thanksgiving Day.  It wasn't completely finished but it was structurally sound enough to use for lunch!  We had 10 people for Thanksgiving lunch at 12:30!  I quickly pulled chairs from other rooms, mixed two different sets of place mats, used great grandmothers's Camilla Spode china, and pulled the center piece from the kitchen table.   Our family had never sat together at the same table for a holiday meal until that day!  We all lingered around the table a lot longer this year!

The table is 12 feet long, and made from twenty six 2x4 pine boards. The top has been finished in Annie Sloan Paris Grey chalk paint, distressed heavily, and waxed with dark wax.  It has the appearance of a drift wood color.  The curved pedestals have not been finished yet....they will get the same paint treatment and some metal banding to mimic wine barrels.  The ends of the table will also get some metal accents as well.  My husband is modeling a table that he saw at Pottery Barn last week.  The total cost of this table, that will seat 12 - 14 people, is $175.  Pottery Barn's table was not as long and was $1800.

.... I will post more about the table in the coming days!   I bought twelve chairs at Ikea today and I will be pulling together the table settings for Christmas!  I am so proud of my table and so lucky to have a talented husband who goes above and beyond to make me happy every day!

Posting to:

Table TimeTuesday

What's it Wednesday

Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Gallery wall in progress...

This is the start of a gallery wall in my family room. The fish painting is one of my own originals that I moved from another room.  I don't know exactly what else I want to use.  Unique things that lend a hint to my family's interests is what I am aiming for.  I know that  lamps on in a picture is a no no but the natural light in this room is very poor.  The windows open out onto another room/sun porch that only gets afternoon sun.  A few other changes in the family room are the new dark orange pillows from ikea, the braided rug on the coffee table, and a new lampshade.

 I am posting to "Wow us Wednesdays"!

Put a little witch in your day!

This was my contribution to a dotee doll exchange.  She makes me smile! The teachers dressed up at school today.  I of course was a good witch...the same costume I have worn for years! I love it though! Everybody needs a little witch in their day.

Happy Halloween!

MIxed media collage

The air turned chilly

The wind is swirling

The leaves are a flutter

Dark is coming early

Pumpkins are grinning

Halloween is here!

I am still working on BBD Halloween box....hope to be finished by this weekend!  See the little black bird on the pedestal?  It is a pin and needle keep designed by Clara and I.  We made half a dozen for our sampler guild to sell at "Barn Full of Quilts".  We had lots of fun making them and spending time together on a Saturday morning.

Pumpkins and a finish!

Another one of Lizzie Kate's Halloween Rules cross stitch pattern finished.  These fabric pumpkins were a blast to whip up...I made 11 of them in no time!

Up late finishing!

Decided to do some finishing yesterday!  This is one of Lizzie Kate's Halloween Rules.

Dogs of deployment

He couldn't be any cuter could he?  For once in my mother's life she kept something a complete surprise!   She drove up in the driveway yesterday morning with this precious 6 month old baby.  She had had him 3 weeks and not a peep about him!  You should know that she has three dachshunds herself at home and we have two.  We now have three!  Her dogs are all black and tan and our three are all reds.  Let me tell you the story behind my three....  Blue is 11 yrs old and has been with us since he was just over a year old, Scooter is 7 and has been with us since he was almost one, and new Burlap is 6 months.  Each one of the dogs belonged to US Marines, based out of NC, who had to give up their dogs because of deployments.  I have an aunt, a soft heart for dogs, who lives and works near the base and enjoys helping military soldiers find good homes for their pets.  In some small way, I feel like my family is paying our debts to these men and women who serve our country.  So who ever you are...your dogs are being well loved and it is our pleasure to give them a home.

Pumpkin Pecan Bread

I was flipping through Southern Living Magazine while in line at Harris Teeter today and saw a recipe for pumpkin pecan bread.  I turned the cart around and went to grab all the ingredients to make them!  I decided to make them in my new mini-mini loafs pan (8 in one pan) from Walmart.  I got to try out my new tag punch as well.  I used chalk to write on the black paper and tied them on with raffia.  Oh! They are so very yummy!

Burlap Fall Wreath

I have been waiting for fall to decorate my front stoop and door!  I recently painted my front storm door and side panels a sunflower yellow.  I used left over burlap cut into strips and tied them in knots around a wooded ring.  I picked up the floral picks at Michaels and just stuck them under the knots.

Posting to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style !

Casting a Spell

This is a new Blackbird Design piece that I picked up at The Stitch and Frame in Rock Hill two weeks ago.  Clara and I are both doing the same piece.  She made us a schedule to follow so that we would get them done in early October. We have three days for each little piece.  I am ahead of schedule!  Which is really good because I know I will get behind at some point! Do you see my mess up?  I didn't really see it until half way finished.  I will have to pull that part out and fix it!!!!!  I always mess up on something.  The box for the project is from Hobby Lobby.  We will paint, distress, and wax the box soon.