2014 was an amazing year and truly, I can't believe that we're only a few hours away from 2015 so let's take a quick look back at some of my favorite moments and projects of the past year here at the French farmhouse.
I created a Valentine's day mantel celebrating the love that grows in little houses while still adjusting to the fact that we had downsized just nine months prior and there were still stacks of boxes in virtually every room.
March found me back to painting furniture and exploring ways to create different looks including rustic chippy finishes using milk paint.
We spent April (and May and June) demolishing the old living room and converting it to the new dining room. We tore out floors and walls, discovered and corrected a mold issue and put it all back together again.
In early May, my oldest graduated college and asked me to help him to rehab his first apartment. We spent a month removing old flooring, replacing lighting, bathroom fixtures and painting...we even built some DIY industrial style pipe shelves.
Back at the farmhouse, we removed the landscaping and the pond in order to correct grading issues at the rear of the property.
I spent a few days at my sister's home helping her to install new marble on her fireplace, install glass mosaic tile back splash in her kitchen, paint a couple of rooms and give her laundry room a makeover.
Back at the farmhouse, the new dining room floor was installed, drywall completed and, after nine months of waiting, the 3,200 lb limestone mantel which I had fabricated based on 18th century French design was finally put into place.
For those of you who are wondering why you haven't seen more about Phase 2 of the renovation, I'm still working with the village on the permit. Our current village ordinance calls for me to pave the 35 x 42 foot court yard rather than using the decomposed granite (loose stone) that I want to use. Paving would not only cause a heat island but would also displace a lot of water which would run down hill and flood my neighbors. I'm still trying to convince them that allowing me to use decomposed granite and retain the water would be a better idea...stay tuned for what will hopefully be a resolution and permit in early 2015.
2014 also saw me take my first foray into the retail market selling handmade items and creating window displays that included giant newspaper flowers at a lovely local store called Vintage Fresh.
Fall brought a trip to my friend Ann's Nellie's Barn Sale, decorating my new mantel and making new bushel baskets look old using vinegar and steel wool.
Of course, there was decorating and tablescaping for Thanksgiving. In December, I joined Michael's stores and a group of talented bloggers for Twelve Days of Christmas Ornaments. It was the first time that I had done a post a day for 12 days and it was an amazing experience.
In December, I shared our candy cane red and white Christmas kitchen decorating on the Welcome Home tour and our porch and my son's room on the Home for the Holidays home tour. My favorite, however, was our frosty pastel dining room.
Oh my gosh! I almost forgot! One other special moment from 2014: in April, I rescued a ten year old yellow lab named Piper from a shelter. She's big, lovable, and has no manners. In other words, she's a perfect addition to the farmhouse. Adding her to our family is one of the best things that I did all year.
That, my sweet friends, is a look back at the year that was 2014. Looking ahead, expect to see more furniture painting, gardening, DIY, decorating, crafting (and maybe even some construction) in 2015.
I know that I've said this before but I can't say it enough, I'm so very thankful that you're here! Please know that I appreciate each of you and I welcome your questions and comments. If there's anything that you want to know about, just ask. Something that you want to learn? Say the word!
Happy New Year!
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