:::HANDMADE CHRISTMAS AND A HOLIDAY HOME TOUR:::

I have been busy "elfing" as I like to call it.  I am making some handmade things for my family this year that is requiring a lot of time at the sewing machine.  Here is a little sneaky peak  of a quilt I am making.

I was ready to bind this one yesterday when I realized I ran out of thread.  I still have another one to quilt and bind and yet another to piece, quilt and bind.  Wish me luck.  I will be cutting it close trying to get them all done before the holidays.

I am also participating in Jen's 12 days of Christmas.  It starts tomorrow, November 30th.  You don't want to miss it because Jen, myself and several other sweet ladies  will be sharing how we decorate for the holidays, our traditions, some projects and of course some recipes.

Well, I am off to "elfing" again.  Lots to do, lots to do!

Have a great day!
CherylPin It Now!

A home tour ..

Hello there! I hope everyone had a blessed Easter! We did. It had been a busy week last week so it was nice to just relax today and enjoy time spent with family.

I would like to introduce you to the lovely Rie and her beautiful family.

of
http://homeandharmony.blogspot.com

Here is a pic of their lovely house from the outside.

Now, let's take a looksee inside.

First up is their kitchen. When they moved into their home the kitchen had 25 ft. ceilings. They felt the high ceilings made the home feel cold. So, they set out to bring the ceiling down and do away with the half wall and the pillars by the kitchen. In so doing, they created a more open and inviting space.

photo by Rie of Home and Harmony

kitchen before pic
and here is the

afer pic of the kitchenphoto by Rie of Home and Harmony

Can you see the ceiling. They brought it down and between the boards they installed beadboard and recessed lighting. Now that the pillars and the half wall are gone, the kitchen is really opened up to the living space.

Here is another view of the kitchen. Don't you just love that island? I do. Rie talks about how she and her husband acquired it and how they tranformed it into the beautiful island you see today. You can read about the tranformation of their kitchen as well as the island here:http://homeandharmony.blogspot.com/2010/02/before-and-after-kitchen.html

photo by Rie of Home and Harmony

I especially like the way she has decorated her childrens rooms. They are beautifully decorated, but not cluttered. Have color, but aren't overdone. Below is a picture of the girls room. Now what little girl wouldn't want to sleep in a dreamy bedroom like this?

photo by Rie of Home and Harmony

The room is light and airy and the pom poms suspended from the ceiling not only give the room a pop of color, but add texture. The white painted furniture and matching quilts at the foot of the bed tie everything together.

The boys room is equally well dressed. Again, we have painted furniture, but in black. Very masculine, but sophisticated so that this room will grow with the boys. No need to change out any themey accessories. Love those quilts on the bed. My son has the same one. In the boys room she uses red for the pop of color on the pillows and brings some texture in with the corduroy pillows and the basket at the foot of the bed.

photo by Rie of Home and Harmony

Next up is a pic of their living room. Rie is a big fan of slipcovers. Another thing that I would love to incorporate into my home. She really makes the room cozy with a few key pieces without making it cluttered.

There is lots more to see. Like the full redo of their kitchen in the link I provided above as well as a very creative idea Rie came up with for their dining room tablecloth which you can read about here:http://homeandharmony.blogspot.com/2010/02/signature-tablecloth.html

A big thank you to Rie for allowing me to showcase her beautiful home. Please hop on over and tell Rie "hello" and surf around her blog.
http://homeandharmony.blogspot.com/

Stop by later this week I will have a room tour fit for a cowboy. You won't want to miss this theme room.

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Another beautiful home tour...

We are still busy prepping our house to put on the market. I will share pics sometime in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, enjoy another beautiful home tour.

Meet Andrea of

http://fadedplains.blogspot.com/

Andrea and her family live in an old farmhouse in the Midwest. They enjoy living a simple country life. As we tour her home you will see that idea of simple country living reflects how she decorates her home. Everything she uses has a function, but it's also decorative too.

First up on our tour his her bathroom. Unfortunatley, she doesn't have a before photo to share. Previously this bathroom was very dark and had broken tiles. Her hubby is pretty handy as you will see throughout this post. He laid the tile and put up the beadboard. He does most of the DIY and she pretties it up with her vignettes and eye for color and texture .

photo by Andrea of Faded Plains

Love the beautiful color on the wall. Great choice on the tile flooring. That pattern is timeless. Don't you just love the french feel with the chair and that burlap pillow?

Andrea will be the first to say she thinks she doesn't do well with vignettes, but I beg to differ. I think she does quite well. The accessories she added here on these shelves bring interest to this wall without being too overdone. Love the texture of the basket and the starfish leaning up against it. Y'all know I love me some mason jars, especially those old green/blue colored glass ones with the zinc lids. Flowers always add life to a room and it looks like that might be Lavender in there.

photo by Andrea of Faded plains

How many of us have a linen closet that is functional, but lovely too??? Not me, I would be embarrassed to show you mine. Andrea likes the idea of simple living. This linen closet showcases that. I love the use of the white pedastool dish holding soap and the baskets holding towels and extra toiletries for the bathroom. It's the right mix of function with purposeful decor.

photo by Andrea of Faded Plains

Next up is her guest room. She was inspired by Layla over at http://www.theletteredcottage.net/ to stripe her walls.

photo by Andrea of Faded Plains

Look at all that pillow love. I love the mix of fabrics on the pillows and the use of white on the quilt and bolsters. I am really into roman shades now. They do the job to cover the windows, but there is so much yummy fabric out there to make them in. They don't have to be boring. Andrea uses what looks like a bamboo or wood kind. The use of this really brings texture into the room. Once again, she balances function and decorating with fabrics, texture and color.

Well dearies, I hope you enjoyed a tour of Andrea's lovely farmhouse. If you want to be wowed by more rooms click on the links below and tell her "hello." She will be delighted you stopped by.

Here is a link to her guest bath. The use of an old dresser with a sink dropped in on top is beautiful. Do you love clawfoot tubs and old glass bottles? She uses some great accessories in here to hold things like cotton balls and q-tips.

http://fadedplains.blogspot.com/2009/12/guest-bathroomcheck.html

She has the most yummy office space to work in everyday. It gets lots of naturl light. Take a look here. All I can say is if I worked in a space like that, I would be so productive. You will have to click on the link to just be in awe.

http://fadedplains.blogspot.com/2010/02/my-office.html

Click on this link to see her dining room. She and her hubby really stepped up this room with their ideas and touches. Check out the before pic and all the work they put into it. Window seats are wonderful and they did a great job incorporting them into this room.

http://fadedplains.blogspot.com/2010/03/help-wanted.html

I saved the best for last. You are not going to believe that Andrea taught herself to sew three months ago after you take a look at this post. She took on a HUGE project and slipcovered her sectional sofa. I gotta tell you, it looks fabulous. I am so very impressed. Andrea, if you are reading this you so have gotten me motivated to do my slipcover for my wingchair. No more lollygagging here. I need to just do it!

Andrea also sells vintage inspired goods at her shop. She has really unique items. Give her shop a looksee.

http://www.fadedplains.com/

I hope you enjoyed the tour and you will stop by Andrea's blog .

Grab a cuppa, you will not be disappointed.

Have a great weekend!

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A beautiful home tour

Today I want to share a beautiful home with you. It is the home of Maria at http://vintagesimplehome.blogspot.com/

You may have seen her home showcased if you have visited

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/02/sneak-peek-maria-garuti-of-vintage-simple.html

Or maybe you stop by her blog daily. In any case, she has wonderful style and uses white and wood tones wonderfully. The color, textures and her attention to detail make each room a serene and inviting place to be.

Here is a pic of her living room which is at the front of the home.

photo by Maria of Vintage Simple

I love the warm color she has on the walls and the beadboard at the entrace is just beautiful. Here is another photo of the living room from a different angle. Don't you just love the character of this house? Look at that lovely arch.

photo by Maria of Vintage Simple

Look a the wide moldings at the bottom and the beautiful wood floors. See that coffee table there? That was a curbside side find that she gave a little love to. I think it looks lovely. Love the white with the stained top.

Take at look at this bathroom remodel she and her hubby did. They gutted this bathroom so that they could update it. Previously it was pink and very dated.

photo by Maria of Vintage Simple

We see more beadboard again. Love it and look at that ceiling! The tin is so unexpected but looks right at home in this room. I have always been a fan of subway tile and tub area as well as the flooring look beautiful.

I will leave you with a pic of one of the most ingenious ideas for rehabbing their house below. Raise your hand if you can't stand those ugly builder grade bifold doors on closets.... Um , yeah, that would be me. Take a look at what they did with theirs so that they would be in keeping with the style they were going for in their home.

photo by Maria of Vintage Simple

I absolutely love it! She actually shares how they achieved this look on her blog.



I encourage you to stop by and say "hello" to Maria and read about the story of her home on her sidebar . Not many of us know the history of our homes, but she does.

Maria, you are a decorating inspiration for me. I will be moving this summer and this look you have in your home is something that I am going for. It says, "Come on in and stay a while." As I get older I am finding it's all about the "casual ease" of decorating and living. Simple, yet elegant.


A big thank you to Maria for letting me take you on a tour of her lovely home.Pin It Now!