Home Decor Inspiration from blogland..

When last years Pottery Barn catalog came out I fell in love with those subway wall art signs. They had different kinds with different names of streets of a certain town. There was another one that had a hand pointing on it with verbage. They were very cool. Here is one similiar from art style.I tried to think of a way I could make them myself cause there was no way the hubs was letting me spend that kind of money on something decorative...and rightfully so. Well, I ran ways to make it in my head, but they weren't efficient or even do able. I have since been surfing in the wonderful world of blogland and I am hear to tell you that two wonderfully creative ladies have been gracious enough to share how they did it. Each one gives step-by-step directions with great pics to go along with it. So, if you are wanting some DIY art to display in your home give their links a read.

Check out Ashley's version over at http://lilblueboo.blogspot.com/2010/01/resolutions-subway-art-tutorial.html

Here is Susie's version from http://susieharrisblog.com/2010/01/i-amdiy.html


Happy Decorating!Pin It Now!

Inspiration for home decor

I was taking a stroll through at Homegoods today to get "inspired." I came across some things that I liked, but couldn't buy. You know, just window shopping and getting inspired. I did see a very cool fabric basket that I would like to make and so hopefully I can share that with you next week.

One other thing I saw were these. I thought, "How cool!" Forget painting your own chalkboard. Look at this. It's peel and stick. You can't get anymore instantly gratified than that.

photos: Wallies

Right next to it was this.

I am all about instant gratification with a project. I might use these in the future.

Loving this light fixture from http://www.sturbridgeyankee.com/fort-hill-pendant/p/41968/ I would love to hang it over my sink in my kitchen.

They have some great linens too. I love the the simpleness of this star quilt with the pop of red on the white.

I have always liked white enamelware with the black on the rims as an accent. Loving this tissue, tp holder.

I finally acquired all the materials necessary to make the roman blinds in our master bath. Hopefully I can get to that in the next week or so. Once I do, I will post pics to share with you all.

Have a great weekend.

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It's GIVEAWAT time again....

Hop on over to Traci's blog





She is having a wonderful giveaway sponsored by Dee from





If you haven't seen any of her work, you must click on her link and check it out. It is beautiful !

The giveaway ends at midnight (EST) on Thursday, Jan. 21st.
The winner will announced on Friday, Jan. 22nd.

Good luck everyone!Pin It Now!

Give HOPE to the HAITIANS

Hi there!

Hope you are having a wonderful day so far.

I don't have much to post today because I have company coming in town this weekend. So, have to get groceries, clean, etc. Not much time for playing on the computer.

First off, I just wanted to touch on what has happened in Haiti this week with the earthquake. Such devastation. So many people without shelter, food, etc. We need to pray for these people and give them HOPE. I have been reading articles all over the web and listenening to the radio and it seems right now, the best way to help is by sending in donations to well known agencies that can provide for these folks in a quick manor. If you feel so led to donate monetarily to this cause, here is a link for you:

http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/helpicrc

Also, check with your local church. Our international mission board is collecting donations from Chicagoland area churches to help .

Keep the Haitian people in your prayers.

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Traveling and photogrpaphy..

Back in November we headed back east to attend a family wedding and visit with family. We drove through a lot of states and logged many miles. I have some photos to share with you and maybe a story or two.

We headed to Florida for the wedding where we enjoyed sunny, beautiful warm weather and got totally spoiled. You see after we attended the wedding We drove to the Eastern Shore of Maryland where it was quite chilly and then from there we headed to Baltimore where it was equally as chilly.

As we drove through North Carolina we were enjoying the tunes from our CD and the good driving weather when we saw this from the highway.


Now, just seeing this might not mean a thing to you. I should of taken a pic of the building to the right of this shot. There was a banner across the building reading "FREE FABRIC" and underneath that said "FABRIC OUTLET." Well, I jokingly said to the hubs, "We have to stop and check it out." To which my fellow partner in crime..(my daughter) said, "Yeah Dad, we have to stop." Mind you I was just kidding around because I knew he wasn't interested in stopping. Daughter on the other hand was serious. Well, imagine my surprise when he took the exit and we went in and scoped out the fabric. The hubs even came in and rummaged through the free fabric bin with the daughter and me too. I couldn't believe it. He was a total sweetheart for stopping and rummaging. Gott love it when they indulge us ladies. Unfortunately the free fabric bin was all dark upholstery weight fabrics. Nothing i was interested in. I did however find some gorgeous fabric to make the roman blinds for our master bath. So stay tuned for that. By the way, this store is in Burlington, NC. If anyone wants the address or phone number or website, drop me an email and I will be happy to share.

One of our other stops was the Billy Graham Museum and Library. Wow, is all I can say. If you live in driving distance of this or will be driving through Charlotte, NC this is a great place to stop. Growing up I knew Billy Graham's name, but never knew the impact he had on so many people or what a powerful speaker he was. It was an absolute privilege to tour the grounds and library to learn more about him and how he brought hope to so many people.

Their home resides here on this property. It wasn't originally built here. It actually was built a couple of miles away from this site. The docent shared with us that it also resided in another spot as well and that the house had been moved twice before it resided at this property.
I love old homes. They have so much character. The hardware , the moldings and you gotta love old kitchens. So simple. No frills. All functionality. I have to admit though, Ruth Graham's kitchen all the functional looks quite charming. Here is a pic of the hardware on the kitchen door. I love old glass door knobs as well as old porcelain ones.


Below you will see a rocker in one of the rooms. I also have a love for anything homemade. I love crocheted blankets and this pattern especially is one of my faves. I think it is called the ripple. It's one pattern I haven't been able to learn. It's on my list though. I hope to make one this winter.




Here is a pic of Ruth's charming kitchen.



and on the other side more cabinetry and the ice box.



Look at these. I love this staircase. I hope to live in an old home someday that has beautiful character and attention to detail in the moldings and hardware.

To the right of this was a barn, and it wasn't just any barn. Take a look. I thought this was so cool. Inside here is a walking tour and a gift shop. It was beautifully dressed for their upcoming Christmas tour with lights and tall Christmas trees. I couldn't get a good pic on the inside. The photos kept coming out dark.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit here. Walking through the museum and looking at the different exhibits and reading about Billy's life led me to reflect on my own. In 2010, I hope to be a better disciple and better witness for the Lord.

I will leave you with one last photo.

Later in the week I will share with you another stop we made while in Maryland. Its' the B & O railroad museum in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Have a blessed day.

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Good things come in small packages

I had to show you this beautifully wrapped box I received for Christmas. Actually, there were lots of them wrapped just like this one wrapped in a big box wrapped just like this one. I love pineapples; so this little added touch made me squeal.

And here is the lovely pineapple that was added on.

Inside of all these boxes was this! Williams-Sonoma everyday dinnerware. They were having a sale and I have been wanting some white dishes that can go in the dishwasher, micro and oven for a while now. I hinted to the hubs and surprised me with them on Christmas.

Our meals look so much more appetizing on the white plates. We use them everday and I have washed them in the dishwasher and by hand and they are holding up great.

On a side note, I went thrifting today. Well, actually I had a trunk and backseat load of stuff to take to Goodwill. I thought while I was there I would look around and see if I could find a dress for an upcoming evening event we wil be going to. But, I didn't have any luck there.

I did however find a cream cardigan with Mother of Pearl buttons on it. Love that little detail. I also saw this handpump for lotion or soap and I thought to myself as I looked at it that it looked like a Longaberger piece. Sure enough, it was! I got the Longaberger lotion/soap pump for 99 cents! Can you believe that??? I had to casually scoop it up and walk quickly to the register. For $8.00 I was a happy camper.

We have a bigger Goodwill about 25 minutes north of us. I am hoping to go there later this week and see what goodies I can find there.

I will share more later in the week.
Have a blessed day!

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year early.

Well, another year has gone by. I find that the older I get the faster time seems to go by. Do you ever feel that way?

We had a quiet Christmas this year. We did the last of our traveling visiting family in November, so it was just us for Christmas.

The hubs surprised me and the kids about a week and a half before Christmas by taking us to a tree farm! We were going to cut down our own tree. We were all excited. We hadn't had a real tree since 2000. That year we moved two days after Christmas and the hubs wasn't about to buy any more real trees....and we didn't. Until this year. Last year our tree stand broke and couldn't be fixed....so, the daughter and I wore him down it seems and off we headed to the tree farm.

It was a blustery, cold afternoon when we headed out to go look for the tree and after about a half an hour of looking and starting to get numb, we found what we thought was the PERFECT tree.

We stopped by the petting zoo area to warm up a bit by fire the fire and check out the different animals.

I couldn't believe my eyes, but they had two deer and they were so friendly. One of them came right up to the fence where I was taking a picture. This deer had the most beautiful, big brown eyes.

Then we went in for some hot chocolate to thaw out all the way. Not too long after that we headed home to set the tree up.

Here she is all decroated and lit on Christmas Day.

We have a two story foyer and this was the only spot on the first floor where it would fit without having to have a domino effect of rearranging furniture. I loved having it here. First thing we see when we walk down stairs and last thing we see when we head upstairs. I have lots of fave ornaments. Some sentimental because my kids made them and some just because they warm my heart to see them because they remind me of the person that gave them to us. Here is one of my many faves.

As the year comes to an end I look back and have to say we have been very blessed this year. Our lovely daughter graduated from high school and is embarking on a new chapter in her life...college! Our strapping young son turned 15 and is turning into a pretty good basketball player; and my sister has battled cancer and is a survivor! I am beyond blessed with a wonderful husband and two wonderful children.

Praying for God's continued blessings in 2010 and that you and yours are blessed as well.

To all my blog friends...

Have a safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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ANOTHERhttp://makingahouseahome.blogspot.com/ GIVEAWAY.....

gAnother giveaway is happening over at http://makingahouseahome.blogspot.com/
Mrs. U shares a wonderful recipe and then shares with you the wonderful giveaway she has going on. Click on over and tell her "hello" and enter her giveaway.

Also, be sure to scroll down and check out Sachiko's giveaway.Pin It Now!

GIVEAWAY!!

Hop on over to http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/

The very sweet Sachiko is having her first ever giveaway! Stop by and say "hello" to Sachiko and leave her a comment to enter her giveaway. Read her post for all the details.

Good luck everyone!Pin It Now!

Recipes for you

Linking up these recipes to Kimba's DIY DAY over at http://asoftplace.net/

I have two recipes to share with you. The first one is an oldie, but a goody. It's Pepeprmint Bark. Very easy to make and delish. The second one is White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread. I think these may be my new fave cookie.




I am officially making it a tradition to post this recipe each year as long as I blog. I have made this recipe before. Easy and very pretty when it's done.



Peppermint Bark






Cook Time10 min
Yield: about 2 pounds of candy

Ingredients:

Crushed candy canes, to yield 1 cup
2 pounds white chocolate


Directions:
Place candy canes in a plastic bag and hammer into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Combine candy cane chunks with chocolate (add peppermint flavoring at this point if desired.) Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces (like peanut brittle.)is several times and it is very good and looks festive. I posted this one last year, so here it is again.

Here is another recipe but this one is for a cookie. My hairdresser gave me the recipe. She says it's not Christmas in her house until these cookies are made. My daughter and I thought they sounded yummy so we will be cooking these this week.

White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

Prep: 40 min. Bake: 10 min. per batch Stand: 30 min

Ingredients
· 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped
· 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1/2 cup sugar
· 1 cup cold butter
· 12 ounces white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter, finely chopped
· 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
· 2 drops red food coloring (optional)
· 2 teaspoons shortening
· White nonpareils and/or red edible glitter (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread cherries on paper towels to drain well.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in drained cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chopped chocolate. Stir in almond extract and, if desired, food coloring. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.
3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.
5. In a small saucepan, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. If desired, roll dipped edge in nonpareils and/or edible glitter. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set. Makes about 60.
6. To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

I will let you know how the new cookie recipe works out and if it's a keeper. If anyone else makes them, let me know if you liked them.

Happybaking and enjoy!

Have a blessed day!

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